


Be My Halo

by chai_pandemic17



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Awkward Kageyama Tobio, Blushing, Brother-Sister Relationships, Café, Cats, Christmas, Coming Out, Crying, Cute, Dates, Dorks, Dorks in Love, Dreams, Dreams and Nightmares, Ear Piercings, Everyone Is Gay, Family Feels, Fluff, Food, Friends to Lovers, Gardens & Gardening, Glasses, High School, Hinata Shouyou is Sunshine, Holding Hands, Holidays, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Japanese Culture, Kageyama Tobio is Bad at Feelings, Kissing, Lesbian, Lesbian Character, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild Sexual Tension, Mutual Pining, Nicknames, Nightmares, Nighttime, Oikawa Tooru is a Little Shit, POV Hinata Shouyou, POV Kageyama Tobio, Phone Calls & Telephones, Piercings, Pining, Presents, Rain, Requited Love, School, Sharing a Bed, Sharing an umbrella, Sick Character, Sitting In Lap, Sleepovers, Surprises, Texting, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Touch-Starved, Traditions, Volleyball, accidentally coming out, excessive use of the word "dumbass"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:49:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 71
Words: 81,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26498914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chai_pandemic17/pseuds/chai_pandemic17
Summary: A rainy day brings the two boys you all know and love into the same house. But after being sent toppling to the floor and waking up seeing nothing but blurs, Kageyama is driven by his big sister to visit somebody he hasn't seen for seven years, with Hinata in tow. Of course, fluff ensues.ORTwo chaotic dumbasses have nightmares, enemies (?), and tragic backstories to contrast the fluffiness of making pancakes together, sitting in each other's laps, going on dates, and much, much more.(CURRENTLY GOING BACK AND EDITING CHAPTERS)
Relationships: Azumane Asahi & Sawamura Daichi & Sugawara Koushi, Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu, Hinata Shouyou & Kageyama Tobio, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Nishinoya Yuu & Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi
Comments: 124
Kudos: 220





	1. Dandelion Halo

It was pouring. My face contorts as I squint against the cold, hard rain. It falls in sheets from my hair as I whip it impatiently out of my eyes. The dark, cloudy atmosphere around me flashes with the bright colors of students' rain jackets - which I did not have.

I let out a shout after accidentally stepping in a puddle, splashing cold water on my leg. The wind whisks away my voice. An orange blur appears in front of me; a bright beacon haloed by dandelion yellow.

"Kageyama!" Suddenly the rain stopped crashing onto me.

I splutter, trying to wipe the rain off my face, and out of my mouth, with my soaked sweatshirt sleeves. A small, slightly damp towel is thrust into my hands by a smaller figure. After hesitating just a moment, I take it, quietly grateful.

Then I look down at Hinata, drying my hair roughly. He's drier than me (though his own hair sticks out in odd angles), having brought an umbrella by chance. He holds it above the two of us; it's the color of dandelions.

He grins at me, bright and cheery, even in the worst of weather. I can almost see small flowers jumping from his joyous expression. His fingers, though, tightly gripping the handle, are white with cold.

"Better?" he asks, with a small shiver as he peers up at me. His eyes are intense - too intense. I glance away.

"... Th - thank--" I give up and turn away with a huff. He laughs loudly, like powerful bells. The corner of my mouth twitches.

"Is the 'King of the Court' _smiling?"_ he gasps. He fakes astonishment with wide eyes, placing a hand on his chest.

I throw the towel at his face, which he thankfully catches, though not without shouting vague obscenities.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

We pause at the intersection. My right side is damp from Hinata's constant splashing on the way here. Rain drips off the stop sign, landing in a puddle on the concrete.

In front of us is the road that leads up and around the mountain, twisting and turning all the way until Hinata's house. I should know - he's told me plenty of times. On our left, however, is the straight, flat, and quiet road to my house. The sidewalks are shielded from the bulk of the rain by thick swaths of trees.

I realize, then, that we'll have to part, and that I don't have an umbrella for the way home. I'd been holding his while he walked his bike, and forgot it wasn't mine. I frown, furrowing my brow. _Will he be okay to go home in this weather?_ The rain around us pours harder than ever.

"So..." he trails off, looking at me worriedly as I hand the umbrella back to him.

"I'll be fine." I pull up my hood, trying to dash away any worries of Hinata. I've already pulled the back of my sweatshirt over my backpack to shield it as much as possible from the rain. "You... go ahead."

"But you don't have an umbrella..."

I shift, uncomfortably. _I_ _should_ _just go home. That would be the fastest solution. I'll be fine, it's a weekend, so even if_ _I_ _get sick I'll be fine._ I start to duck out from under the umbrella.

"Wait!" I turn back to him. My sigh comes out as a white cloud. "Come over!" he grins at me, though shivering.

I blink.

"Mom will definitely be okay with it, she hears enough about you that you may as well have already come over, and Nastu has friends over all the time, and knowing me I'd probably get hit with a car if I'm not accompanied so you could just call your parents and--"

"My sister." I correct him without thinking, making him look up at me in surprise.

_Stupid._ _Stupid! Of course she won't let me; why would she? I've only ever stayed at cousins' houses, but she was always_ with _me. She won't let me - there's no point in calling..._

But I've already got my phone out. Hinata bounces on his feet eagerly, grinning so hard I worry his face will split. I hesitate, then click "call" before I regret my decision - or, I realize some time later, that inviting him to my house would probably have been the most logical option.

After a moment, she picks up. "Miwa?" I wince, glancing at Hinata.

"Tobio, why're you late? 'Didn't get kidnapped, did you?"

"I'm fine, Miwa, I just forgot my umbrella, and walked with Hinata until the intersection. But he suggested I go to his house with him, so - so he doesn't get hit with a car or something. If you don't--"

"Sure. Stay overnight, if you want. You're always cooped up - but it looks like you're finally making some friends! Gimme his mom's address 'n' number." I'm practically stone-still in shock. I shut my jaw with a snap and blink my wide eyes.

"Uh - yeah, okay, just a second..." I cover the microphone and look at Hinata, who is waiting expectantly. "She... wants your mom's number and address."

Hinata gasps and shouts, grinning wildly in definitely way-too-much excitement. "Hand me the phone!"

I comply, switching it out for his umbrella once again. It's still warm from his hand. My mind quickly begins to race, the world around me fading away.

_She's never let me stay at somebody's house before... Then again, I've never really asked, have I? And... stay overnight? I really can? Do_ _I_ _want to? Yes, of course_ _I_ _do... Wait, why do I? Is that normal for... 'friends'?_

_That's what she said, wasn't it? That I'm making friends? I've never thought of anybody as a friend, let_ _alone_ _Hinata. He's always been my rival, or my other half - on the court. Is that... friendship?_

Hinata laughs, interrupting my thoughts. I look up, seized with worry that I'd spoken aloud - but he's still on the phone with Miwa. I can't help but wonder what they've talking about.

"Yes ma'am, I will! We all know he needs it," he laughs again. Then he hands the phone back to me, still grinning. I frown, bringing it up to my ear.

"Miwa?"

"No wonder he invited you over - he seems nice," she begins, offhandedly.

Memories of Hinata shouting at me, fighting, serving a volleyball at my head, crashing into me, and racing me as fast as he can to the gym flood into my head.

"I... guess..."

I almost hear her laugh, but it sounds quiet. "Alright, he told me everything I needed. Want me to bring you anything?"

"I'm fine."

"'Kay. Stay the weekend or something; it sounds like he practically wants you to live there. Just get your homework done!"

"Y - yeah."

She snorts, this time: a real laugh, if judgmental.

"Well, have fun. Be home by Sunday for dinner. I'm gonna try to bake something again. And _no_ , it did not _burn_ last time, it was just _crispy_. Anyways, cya, 'n' call me if you need anything!"

"Yeah." _I_ _t was definitely burnt._

She hangs up, and I look at Hinata again, slowly putting my phone in my pocket. He'd been texting his mom while I was talking to Miwa, and he looks up at me, now, grinning wildly. My heart skips a beat involuntarily, but I swallow it down.

"She said yes!"

"Umbrella, boke," I half-snap, trying to mask the nervousness building in my stomach.

Obviously, he sees right through me, smiling as he hands it back to me. As we cross the road, he has a skip in his step, and he hums some tune I've never heard before. Whatever it is, it matches his mood - like his own personal theme song.


	2. Oranges and Chocolate

"What'd you mean?" I ask.

We slowly trek our way up the mountain. Hinata has since learned to avoid stomping in puddles after complaining that his feet were wet and cold. It's a constant battle, for me, keeping a tight grip on the umbrella but making sure I don't hit either of us in the head. Luckily, few cars pass us as we go.

"What?" he asks, glancing at me.

"What did you mean? When you said your mom had heard loads about me."

To my surprise, Hinata flushes. He was already pink from the cold and excitement. Now, it was doubly so; I wonder for a moment if he's going to catch a cold.

"Well, I, kinda, maybe..." he mumbles something sheepishly, too quiet for me to understand.

"Speak up, boke," I say with a sigh.

"I said, 'I kinda maybe talk about you at home a lot.'"

_I wonder how many times I'm going to be surprised today. Seeing as I'm staying the weekend at the Hinata's, probably quite a lot._

I gulp down my surprise. "You talk about me?" _A lot?_

"Shut it!" He scrunches up his face in an attempt to look mad, failing miserably. The corner of my mouth twitches again, but he isn't looking at me.

"Well, then..." I fish for something else to talk about, peeking out from under the umbrella to find that the rain has slowed a bit. "What were you and my sister talking about?"

"When?" Hinata kicks a pebble, sending it skidding away, and fidgets with a zip-tie on his bicycle handle at the same time. _He has to be constantly_ _doing_ _something_ _. He's_ _unable to sit still or_ _focus_ _on one thing for more than a minute - unless it's volleyball._

"When you said 'he'll need it'?"

He laughs, sparkling. _He reminds me of turning on the light in the basement, that old lightbulb giving off an orangey gold glow, illuminating everything around it_ _almost_ _magically._

"Oh, nothing, I was just saying I'll have to watch over you and make sure you don't embarrass yourself."

Whatever good thoughts I'd had of him evaporate, and I tackle him, umbrella, bike, and all.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_"Momma! I'm home!_ _With Kageyama!"_ Hinata adds after glancing at me.

I turn pink, but silently blame it on the weather.

The front door of the Hinata household leads into a hallway with an umbrella stand (now dripping with water), a coat rack (also dripping), and a few framed photographs. I mumble pardon to the household, slipping out of my muddy shoes and into the guest slippers. Following Hinata into the kitchen, I look around.

The kitchen we step into is comfortable and warm and smells of baking bread. At the far side of the kitchen is an island counter covered in baking tins and dusted flour. The livingroom, on the left, is equally cozy, with a television, a crammed bookcase, a western sofa, and a short, _futon-_ less _kotatsu_. Between the two rooms is a doorway leading into another hallway.

"Oh, Shouyou, you're home - and sopping wet! Watch where you step!" Mrs. Hinata says, rising from where she was stooped in front of the oven. She's a gentle but teasing looking woman, with graying orange hair pulled back into a ball of fluff. She tries to look stern, but ends up wearing a crooked grin instead.

She comes around the counter and stands in front of me, hands in her apron pockets. She's shorter than Hinata - probably about 5'2". Nevertheless, she pats me on the head, which makes me flush awkwardly.

"Well, my boy, it's nice to finally meet you! Shouyou always says such--"

Hinata gasps loudly and surges forward, red in the face. "Ma!" My own heart pounds, and my hands fidget in my pockets.

Mrs. Hinata laughs heartily. "Alright, alright. In any case, you're a welcome guest! Shouyou will show you around while I make dinner. Natsu!" she calls, peering into the livingroom.

An even shorter orange head totters in from around the corner after a moment. She yawns, then squints up at me. She's got the same chocolate eyes as Hinata, though she looks about five or six.

"Shouyou, you brought a friend!" Natsu exclaims, happy but sleepy.

She holds out her hand, grinning wide and missing at least two teeth. I crouch down, to be level with her head, and hold my hand out as well. She shakes a few of my fingers vigorously, ignoring the water droplets flinging everywhere.

"I've got to go, I'm reading. Bye, new friend!" She scampers off somewhere by the bookshelf and plops down, picking up her book. It's bigger than any book I'd like to read.

Lost in the moment, I turn, and find Hinata looking at me with amused, brown eyes. He wiggles his eyebrows. I glare at him, quickly wiping away the small smile I hadn't realized I'd been wearing.

"Ma, I'll take him to get toweled off, 'kay?" he says with a grin over his shoulder.

"Don't drip everywhere!" she calls, not looking away from whatever it is she's stirring on the stovetop.

Hinata tugs my sleeve as he passes, pulling me in the right direction. He leads me through the livingroom and down the hall, into the bathroom. There, he hands me a towel, which I take after pulling off my backpack and setting it on the floor. It'd been under my sweatshirt, so it was hardly damp.

"I'll be right back and get some clothes. I _might_ be able to find something big enough for you!" I open my mouth to protest, but he's already gone.

I blink at the towel in my hands for a moment before setting it down and shucking off my sweatshirt and shirt. When Hinata comes back in, I've nearly finished drying my hair and face.

"Alright, take these," he says, before looking up at my bare chest and quickly falling silent.

Not noticing, I set the towel on the counter, satisfied, and take the pile of clothes. I furrow my brow. A large, white t-shirt, an equally large black sweatshirt, and a pair of grey sweatpants. I look at Hinata, now, but he's looking away and clearing his throat.

"The shirt and hoodie were hand-me-downs from my dad, but they're way too big on me. And for the sweatpants, I'd just accidentally gotten the wrong size at the shop. So, everything should fit!" He beams at me, slightly pink, and takes the towel back.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

I lay on my back on the carpet, limbs spread like a fan. The sweatshirt is too big, even on me, but it's warm and the room is cold, so I leave it on. Hinata is in the livingroom saying something or another to his mom while I take in the surroundings of his bedroom.

Hinata's walls are covered in posters of volleyball, movies, cartoons, games, music... Everything you could think of. His bed is piled high with blankets and a few stuffed animals, which I smirk at.

A desk sits in the corner with a shining lamp and a dark window. A closet door resides on the opposite wall, closet to his bedroom door. I spot the familiar gleam of a volleyball under his bed, alongside a stack of (hopefully) sports magazines.

_"Kageyama!"_ Hinata shouts, leaping onto the floor beside me chest first and letting out an "Oof".

"Dumbass."

"Hey! You're the one lying on my floor and looking under my bed!"

"I am not."

"You clearly were!"

"Was not!"

"Were!"

"Not!" A pillow is thrown at my face. I sit up, spluttering, but it hadn't come from him.

"Be quiet! I'm trying to read!" Natsu says frustrated and childlike from the doorway.

I sit up, almost grinning at the similarity between her and her brother. "Sorry," I tell her as I hand back the pillow. She takes it with both hands, smiling, all bright and sunshine.

"It's okay!" She walks off, humming proudly.

I turn back and see Hinata making _the face_ at me again.

_"What?"_

"You smile at her." His tone is a mix between "matter-of-fact" and "wonderment".

"I don't."

"You don't smile at _me_ ," he says, as if not hearing me. Then he realizes how his statement sounded - and we both flush.

"I- What? You need glasses." It seems both of us need to think before speaking.

"So you _do_ smile at me, and I just _haven't noticed!?"_

"I never said that."

"Yes you did! You smile at me!"

"I do not! Dumbass!"

_"Boys, dinner's ready!"_


	3. Wings of Fallen Crows

"Thanks, ma!" Hinata says to his mother, only being slightly more careful than usual as he takes a tray of bowls.

"Thank you," I manage to say to Mrs. Hinata. She grins at me, chuckling.

After taking a tray of my own, I move to sit beside Hinata on the sofa, in front of the TV. The fabric is unusual to me: Miwa and I don't have a sofa at home. It takes me a minute to relax in the household, but I try. If I'm going to survive this weekend, I have to at least _try_ to... enjoy it.

We set our bowls on the low table; they're full of steamy white rice, pork slathered in rich seasonings, and stir fry vegetables. My stomach growls. My mind, on the other hand, is screaming at me to be nervous. _It's too domestic! Something bad is going to happen! Don't get close! Don't!_

"Well? Whaddya wanna watch?" Hinata asks, turning to me and startling me out of my thoughts.

My mind goes blank, and the hand I hadn't realized was rubbing at the sofa goes still. "Uh."

Hinata laughs at me. "Okay, I'll pick then," he sings, and chooses some American cartoon. I instinctively frown at his laughter, furrowing my brow.

Somehow, he's able to find plenty of openings to laugh while inhaling his meal. I try to focus on the cartoon, but I try too late: I have no idea what's going on. Bright colors jump around the screen seemingly randomly. I blink, but the blurriness doesn't subside. Instead, I focus on Hinata.

I've never really _looked_ at him, besides on the court. I watch him then, every chance I get. He has so much room to grow, just like anybody, but we're so in sync that it hardly matters.

The way he moves is precise, fast, and powerful. He tries, and tries, and tries again, and losing makes him all the more passionate. His eyes are so focused on the ball, the players, the opponent, he doesn't notice the times I look at him and my mouth quirks up at the corners.

He doesn't notice the way he's more than just a weapon I wield, he's his own person, with his own choices up in the air. He smacks down and, though his form could be improved, there are certain moments. It's during those moments that he's truly flying.

"Kageyama?"

I blink. I'd forgotten my food, and have been staring at Hinata for who knows how long.

"Boke!" I snap before shoveling rice into my mouth, glaring at the floor.

Hinata laughs again though slightly nervously. I let him stay that way.

Finally, we finish eating. After washing our dishes in the kitchen, Hinata leads me back to his room, rambling about something, probably the cartoon.

As soon as we step foot in his room, I flop back down onto the carpet floor, and let out an exhausted sigh. _Hinata's mother and Natsu_ _are_ _nice... but it's so exhausting being around somebody new for so long._

"Bakageyama!" Hinata taps me on the head with his foot. I pull it, and he falls onto the ground with a yelp.

"What're we doing down here!?" he exclaims by my ear. We're laying pretty much side by side.

I shrug, and sit up, yanking my backpack towards me from where it was laying by the door. I hear Hinata sit up too, and he crawls over to kneel next to me, looking curiously into my bag. The corner of my mouth quirks up, knowing what'll happen next. As predicted, when I pull out homework, he groans obnoxiously loudly.

After fighting a grin, I turn to him. "I'm getting mine done tonight so I don't have to do it the rest of the weekend I'm over." I hate homework just as much as he does, but I wouldn't want to waste my time here.

Hinata pouts at me, crossing his arms, until I throw his backpack at him.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

"Hinata, are you finished yet?" I ask, looking up from my phone. The charger is plugged into the wall, so I'm sitting up against it beside Hinata's desk.

Hinata glares down at me from where he's sitting. "No! I have no idea how you finished yours so fast!"

"Because you've been stuck on the same paper for the past half hour," I say, deadpan. In reality, I'd been texting Yachi for help while I was working, and somehow Hinata just hadn't noticed. The work was easier than I first thought, so I didn't take long to finish it.

"Not my fault!"

"The teacher read out the answers to this page in class _yesterday_ _."_

"Baka! Then help me!"

I groan, setting my phone down and rising to my feet. "Which question are you on?"

"Two..."

"Dumb--!"

"Shut up! I got everything else done, so just help me with this last page!"

We started our homework at six. It is now 9:30. I let out a long, exasperated sigh, and pull my sheet out.

I help him through the questions, spending just a few minutes each. He knows the material - he just can't understand what a question is asking. Though I don't want to admit it, he'd probably do better than I could without help on most of these. But twenty minutes later, he's finished.

I yawn, stuffing the paper back into my bag while he does the same. I'm surprised he didn't attempt to pick up his gaming system more than the one time during these past four hours.

"Thanks," he says, turning to me and beaming. I feel like I have to shield my eyes, as if I'm looking at the sun. I huff at him. "Oh, hey, I almost forgot! Since you're at my house, where literally everybody's 'Hinata', you should call me Shouyou!"

I immediately turn beet red, mouth flapping. "Wha- Wh- No!- I- What?"

He laughs his usual one - loud like bells. "It's not like it'd be weird! We're close! What _would_ be weird is if you tried to talk to me, but, say, my _mom_ responded instead!"

I'm pretty sure she wouldn't, but I say nothing. Instead, I look at him, furrowing my brow.

"Please~?" he prods.

"We're close?" I ask instead.

This time, he's the one who blinks. I suppose I'm thankful that he's used to my bluntness, because instead of being hurt, he simply thinks about it. I haven't known many who do that - though he's not usually very good at thinking.

"Well, that's what I thought, at least. We spend loads of time together, we're totally in sync, and anyways, you're _at_ _my house_ _!"_

I can't really argue with that, but at the same time, it seems like weird logic. "I guess..."

"Then call me Shouyou!"

"No!"

"Why _not_ _?"_ he whines.

"Because!"

_"Please?"_

"No!" I faceplant into the carpet so I don't have to look at his wide eyes, ignoring his cries. I close my own eyes, and, after a moment, whisper into the carpet, feeling how the name rolls off my tongue. _Shouyou. Shouyou Shouyou Shouyou._

"...Why are you being creepy to my carpet?"

My eyes fly open, and I leap up to tackle him.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

Laying on the carpet for the fourth time and breathing hard, I start to rethink the choices that led to me staying over at his house.

"Call. Me. _Shouyou."_ Sh - Hinata gasps, lifting his legs and letting them fall after each word.

I'm never going to be rid of this. _I_ _t's just like the homework. Do it just this once, get it over with, and you won't have to deal with it for the rest of the weekend_ _._ I mull it over in my head.

"Call. Me. _Sh--!"_ he starts again, but I interrupt him.


	4. Golden Silhouette

"Tomorrow."

Hinata sits up from the carpet, looking at me. "What?

"Tomorrow I'll call you by your first name." I gulp, glaring down at the floor with a dark blush. _Will_ _I_ _regret this?_

"Oh," Hinata said, with a curious expression on his face. He appeared lost in thought. "Wait, I have to wait _a whole day!?"_

_Back to normal._

"Dumbass," I start out of habit, interrupting his whines. "Where am I sleeping?"

"Hold on, I'll ask my mom where the guest _futon_ is!" He hops up and dashes out of the room.

As soon as Hinata leaves, my mind retreats inwards, and I begin picking at the carpet beside my crossed legs. _Why did_ _I_ _say that? Why didn't_ _I_ _just get it over with? I already whispered it, why is saying it any different? Now it's even more of a_ _problem_ _because he'll be looking forward_ _to_ _it all night. He will. Shouyou will. Shouyou. Shouyou. Shouyou._

"Shouyou."

"E-eh!?"

I jerk my head up, heart pounding. I hadn't meant to say it aloud. My face floods with color once again. "Hinata--!"

His face was similarly red as he stands in the doorway. "Y-you... said Shouyou..."

"No - I did not!" I blatantly lie.

"Say it again," he says, looking at his feet. He's holding what appears to be the _futon_.

"Say... your name?"

"Yeah."

I blink. _A_ _gain?_ _H_ _e must have had some sort of satisfaction hearing me say it, since he was so desperate it earlier_ _,_ _so... Why does_ _he_ _want me to say it again? Maybe he wants to hear it better..._ My mind races. But with me being me, my mouth opens before I can think.

"No!" I repeat.

 _"Bakageyama!_ Say it again! Or - or you'll sleep on the floor!"

"Good!"

"No!! Say it again, or..." Hinata pauses, hands on his hips, fishing for words. "Or I won't hit any of your tosses!"

At first I think he's throwing the threat out without thinking, but then I really look at him. He's staring directly at me, now, and there isn't anything in him that says he's joking. _Why?_

I swallow, looking at the carpet between my legs.

"Please."

"...Sh-Shouyou," I croak. It feels so much better to say it aloud than to whisper it. _I don't know why._ "Shouyou," I repeat after clearing my throat, and look up just in time to see--

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

"I can't believe you _fainted_ when I called you by your first name for the first time," I tell him, staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling.

"Shut _up!_ I didn't faint, I _passed out_ _._ And it was completely unrelated!" He sits up, glaring at me in the dark.

I can just see his faint silhouette, thanks to his nightlight. It's shaped like a lightbulb, and gives off the warm, golden glow of a lantern.

"Fainting and passing out are the same thing," I point out. "And it happened right after I did it."

"They are not! And I can prove it's unrelated!"

"How!?"

"Say it again!"

"No!"

"Come _on,_ I swear I won't pass out this time." He smacks his hands on his blankets.

_"No!"_

"Ugh!" He rolls onto his side, facing me. Then he reaches down to where I lay on the _futon_ and pulls repeatedly on my left sleeve.

"I'm not gonna do it, dumbass," I tell him. He huffs, but keeps tugging on my sleeve. I turn my head. _"What?"_

As soon as I turn, a pillow hits my face.

_"_ _Ow!_ What the--" Another smack, this time to the chest, knocking the words out of my throat. They aren't painful, but I can't ignore them. I sit up, yank his pillow from him, and throw it to the floor on the other side of my _futon._

He gasps, and sits there, glaring openmouthed at me. As I glare back, his face starts to morph, stretching, until his face is static and his eyes and mouth are black gaps. I cover my eyes and grimace, falling back to the _futon_. A shiver runs down my spine.

"...Kageyama? What's wrong?" Hinata asks.

"The dark made your face look creepier and stupider than usual, dumbass."

"Baka!" he gasps, mock offended again. "Wait, are you afraid of the dark?"

"Speak for yourself, with everything _glowing_ in here--"

"I just think it looks neat!"

"--but no, I'd just rather not be sleeping in the same room as a demon."

"According to you, you already are sleeping near one, whether I look like one or not," he says. I can hear the grin in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah."

"...Can I have my pillow back?" he asks after a moment, sheepishly.

I groan and roll over, feeling around for it. While I do, I can hear him muttering something about a "scary face". It makes something inside me crack a little bit and my eyes water. Gulping, I find the pillow and toss it at him, rolling back onto the side facing him.

"Thank you~!"

I grunt. Tucking my left arm under my pillow, I close my eyes. Across from me, Hinata shifts under his blankets. Finally, he settles down with a sigh.

After a moment, I open my eyes. He's on his side as well, looking at me sleepily. His hair looks like a campfire, the orange lit by the golden nightlight. My fingers itch to feel it between my fingers. _Why?_

_"Hinata,"_ I whisper, voice cracking.

_"Yeah?"_ he whispers back. I didn't know he was capable of talking this quietly.

_"Why do you want me to call you by your first name?"_

He shifts nervously. _"Well... I don't know... But after I heard you say it the first time, I thought it sounded really nice coming from you, so I wanted to hear it again..."_

I turn red. I wonder how many times it's been, now. I'm thankful for the darkness.

_"...Shouyou."_ I close my eyes when I hear his breath hitch. The darkness is another blanket, another layer keeping me safe. _"Shouyou, Shouyou, Shouyou."_

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~


	5. Grand King of Dreams

_"Kageyama, toss to me!"_

_Hinata's standing there, begging for me to set to him. As I watch, the Karasuno gym turns into the Tokyo Metropolitan. The high ceiling echoes the sounds of a crowd that isn't there. Lights blare down, but only on our court. The other two are pitch black._

_"Kageyama!"_

_I turn back to Hinata, but he isn't there. A tall pillar stands in his place. A column of stone and moss,_ _veined_ _with gold. Old, gnarled branches protrude from the sides. Beady-eyed crows perch upon them all, staring me down._

_As my gaze trails upwards, the scenery around me changes. The pillar and_ _I_ _are now a forest with trees taller than_ _I_ _can see. Finally, my gaze lands on the throne on the very top, and I'm now kneeling in front of it, covered in dirt that soils the red carpet below me._

_In front of me, lazily twirling his crown in his hand, is Oikawa Tooru. His crown glints in my eyes, but I can see his long, red cape and white fur neckline as clear as day. He smirks, looking down at me, and opens his mouth to speak--_

"Kageyama!"

I sit up with a gasp. My forehead bashes into something hard. I see stars and smell pain. Groaning, I rub my skull, squinting at whatever it was that I hit. Hinata lays on the floor, grumbling and rubbing his own red forehead. His eyes are watering.

I try to blink away the bleariness of having just woken up. "Dumbass..."

 _"Kageyama!_ You took _ages_ to wake up! And as soon as you do, you whack me in the head," he pouts.

"Not my fault your thick skull was in the way." A small, blurry hand carefully reaches up to my _futon_. I blink. Then it yanks my blankets as hard as it can. "Hinata--!"

I must have tangled myself up in them in the night, because I get dragged to the ground as well.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_"Back so soon?"_

_I could never forget Oikawa's snobbish voice._

_"For a setter, you really can't see well, can you?"_

_I whirl around, trying to find the source of his voice. I see nothingness._ _My footsteps and ragged breathing echo as if in a long cave._

_"Oh, right," Oikawa laughs. The sound makes the hair on the back of my neck raise and my skin prickle._ _"That's because you've gone blind, haven't you?"_

 _My stomach drops_. What?

_"'Breaking News: Famous "King of the Court" Volleyball Champion, Kageyama Tobio, Goes BLIND'. What a headline that'll be!"_

_His laugh_ _echoes through my head, bouncing around like a volleyball. I can't breath._

_I can't breath, I can't breath, I can't--_

_"Ka - ge - ya - ma!"_ says a voice, enunciating each syllable loudly.

When I open my eyes, the blurry room is spinning, around and around and around. My stomach rolls, but I'm filled with relief. Whether because I can see or because I'm no longer in the presence of the "Grand King", I can't tell.

"'Yama! You're awake! Again!"

A blur of orange pops into view above me.

"How many times are you going to lay on my carpet?" Hinata asks.

"Shouyou..." I groan, rubbing my eyes. I freeze. "I mean--"

The blur of orange turns a bit red. "G - get up, boke..."

My face feels hot, but I try to ignore it. Blinking rapidly and slowly sitting up, a feeling of dread creeps through me. The blurriness won't fade.

"...Hinata?" I look toward the orange blob. I can tell it's his face, but I can't see the swirling brown patterns in his eyes anymore.

"Are you okay? Your eyes are unfocused. Did you hit your head too hard?" He waves a hand in front of my face. I jerk back, blinking.

"I think I have something in my eyes; everything's all fuzzy." Birds chirp outside the window, and I can hear Hinata's sister singing loudly across the house. It feels like morning, but terror tightens its grip on my throat regardless.

"Fuzzy?" Hinata's face moves closer to mine. The details become slightly clearer. "What about now?"

I blink. "A little better, but..." The bedroom door opens. I whip my head around, sending a wave of dizziness to my stomach. I try to make out who the figure is that's standing in the doorway.

"Boys," the voice laughs. _Mrs. Hinata._ "What are you doing?"

Hinata's face is right up by mine, and we're both sitting across from each other on the floor. _Oh._

"I - Mrs. Hinata--"

"Ma, Kageyama's vision is all blurry! He couldn't see me well until I got up close to him! I don't know what happened - maybe it's because he fell?"

Mrs. Hinata laughs, as if she doesn't quite believe him.

"He's right," I say, rubbing my eyes. "I got pulled off my cot--"

"He fell!" Hinata interjects.

"--and when I opened my eyes, everything was all blurry. That was a few minutes ago, and it still hasn't cleared."

I remember my dream, in which I was blind. _It was Oikawa's voice,_ _I_ _know it was. He was in my other dream, too. Stupid, snobby Oikawa... At least I won't be able to see his face clearly anymore._

The reality comes crashing in. I won't be able to see _anything_ clearly again. But I'm a setter! That can't happen to me; I need to see clearly, I need all of my senses! This can't be permanent. It's just because I hit my head! Right? It'll go away on its own!

_It was blurry before_ _I_ _fell_ _._

I'd chalked it off as early morning blurriness, but... maybe it wasn't. And yesterday, wasn't I squinting a lot? I hadn't thought much of it, but...

Maybe hitting my head wasn't the cause of it. Maybe it just made it more noticeable. Maybe my eyesight has been gradually getting worse, and I hadn't noticed. Maybe this is permanent. _It can't be..._

I'm knocked out of my train of thought.

"Kageyama, get up! Ma's gonna call your sister! We should eat breakfast while we wait, okay?" I let him guide me up, but brush his hand away when he tries to lead me down the hall.

"I'm fine..." Something small comes barreling into the hallway and clings to my leg. I stumble, but catch myself on the wall.

"Natsu! Be careful!" _Natsu._

I crouch down after she lets go of my leg, peering into her blurry but obviously giddy face.

"'Yama! Look what _I_ drew!" She holds a piece of paper up, covered in crayon. I squint, trying to make out what it is.

"I'm sorry, Natsu, my eyesight is really blurry, and I don't know why, so I can't make it out. Your mother's calling my sister about it... But guess what?" I say to her.

"What?" she asks, sadly.

"Even though I can't see it very well, it's still obvious you're an artist!"

Natsu laughs joyfully, clutching the drawing to her chest.

"As soon as I can see again, I'll take a better look, so hold onto it!"

"I will!" This time, I realize I really do smile at her.

I stand, and see Hinata facing me again. I glare at the orange blob, but can't seem to wipe the smile off my face completely.


	6. Tick Tock

_"Tobio, what happened!?_ Your friend's mother called, and--"

"Miwa, I'm fine! My vision is just fuzzy."

"Whatever, Tobio; just sit tight. I'll come pick you up, and we'll take you to the eye doctor. See you soon."

"Yeah." I hang up.

"Well?" Shouyou sits across from me at the kitchen counter, sounding anxious. _Shouyou?_

"She's coming to take me to the eye doctor," I tell him, setting down my phone.

My vision hasn't improved, but it hasn't gotten worse, either. I try to take that as a good sign. _Tsukishima_ can hardly see without his glasses, and he plays just fine. Maybe I'll just need sports glasses. Or contacts.

Shouyou seems to be taking it worse than I am. He fidgets even more than usual, and is either bombarding me with questions or being unnervingly quiet.

"It's nothing to worry about, so quit being so quiet."

"Bakageyama! I want to go with you," he adds, before I can comment on his small range of insults.

"With me?"

"To the doctor. If your sister's okay with it..." He trails off, hopeful.

"Would your _mom_ mind?"

"I'll ask, hold on!" He gets up and darts away somewhere. The room grows quiet.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

All I hear is the ticking wall clock.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_"Tobio-chan, come on! It'll be fun~"_

_"I can't, Oikawa. I have homework to do."_

_"So mean~! You'll need glasses from all that reading you do."_

_"Speak for yourself..."_

_"My eyesight's genetic! Plus, girls like my glasses."_

_"No they don't. They think you look like a dog."_

_"A puppy, Tobio-chan - a puppy! There's a difference..!"_

_..._

_..._

_Tick. Tock._

_"Kageyama!" Shouyou's voice sounds thick and broken. "'Yama, she won't let me go with you!"_

_I turn. He stands in the hallway, unmoving. My vision isn't blurry anymore. He stares over my shoulder._

_"Kageyama, help me! I need you to help me!"_

_His mouth doesn't move when he speaks, as if there was a speaker in his chest instead of a voice box._

_The air feels thick and slow, like wading through the ocean floor. Shouyou's arms twitch and flap at his sides, as if he can't hold them still. He doesn't seem to notice. He's still looking over my shoulder._

_"Kageyama, you should wake up now," his voice says, and Shouyou finally meets my_ _eyes_ _. They aren't his - they're Oikawa's eyes._

I jerk up with a shuddering gasp, feeling a hand on my back. I whip my head around and, through the fuzziness, see Shouyou. He looks normal. I let out a breath. I'm still seated at the kitchen table. I must have fallen asleep while waiting.

"Are you okay?" Shouyou asks. I rest my head on my arms again, trying to calm my pounding heart.

"I'm fine," I say, too sharply. I can still feel his eyes on the back of my head, though his hand has since left my back, leaving it cold. "What did your mom say?"

I remember him saying he couldn't, but I'm sure that was in my dream. I shiver.

"Oh! She said she doesn't mind, as long as I don't bother you or your sister," he says, stepping around to stand more in front of me. He sounds nervous and happy at the same time, like he isn't really sure what he should be feeling.

"Okay."

"I can ask your sister when she gets here!"

"Yeah."

Silence.

"Hey... are you sure you're okay?"

I bite my tongue before I snap at him again.

"Yeah, I've just been having... weird dreams. Bad weird. Oikawa's in them, that bastard, and y..." I clear my throat. "And yeah. But I'm fine." I look at him when I finish speaking.

In our silence, I can hear Natsu's show playing softly from the livingroom. The wind plays with the chimes outside, and birds sing. Too cheerful.

Despite the fuzziness, Shouyou's still brighter than the sun. I can almost picture his massive crow's wings rising beautifully from his shoulder blades. He soars, not just in the air, but in his head. You can never really tell what he's thinking about, but you can see the gears racing.

He's begun being able to plan ahead during matches. He can figure out what an opponent is most likely to do, and has, on a few occasions, been able to counteract them. Not unlike Tsukishima, or Nishinoya.

While my mind wanders, my eyes meet his. My train of thought is suddenly gone, careened off the edge. Sometime when I was lost in my head, he'd moved closer, just enough that I can see his face clear enough.

_His eyes._

I've missed those eyes. I never thought I'd say it, but I missed them. They peer into mine, as if studying me, big and brown and _beautiful_.

_Beautiful?_

I can't seem to bring myself to move a muscle when our eyes connect. Even my breathing slows. My heartbeat, however, is faster than it was when I awoke from the nightmare.

_Why?_

The world seems like it's slowed. Like it's stopped, and only we are revolving around eachother. My stomach tenses and grows warm, and - are those... butterflies? The feeling is new and it scares me, but I can't look away.

A knocking at the front door.

Just like that, the spell shatters, and we both tear our gaze away. He steps back, face red, as we realize how close we'd gotten without realizing. I look down at the counter, sucking in deep, trembling breaths and hugging my stomach. I still can't seem to move.

Mrs. Hinata rushes in and down the hall to answer the door.

"Oh, Ms. Kageyama, come in, come in! He's just in the kitchen with Shouyou!"

My stomach drops nervously, though I don't know why. The two step into the kitchen, and Miwa rushes and hugs me, squeezing out what little breath I'd managed to gather.

"Ack - please - I'm fine--" I gasp. "Air--"

She steps back, glaring up at me. I pull in fresh air again. Her hair, as dark as mine, is styled with her bangs slicked back. She crosses her arms. The sleeves of her red flannel are rolled up, and her jeans are covered in what looks like paint marks.


	7. Blurry Mansion

"How's your eyesight, Tobio? Any worse? Better?" Miwa asks after stepping back.

"The same," I say, a little embarrassed.

Her mouth twists, and she turns to the Hinatas. "Thank you, Mrs. Hinata, for taking care of my brother! And you too," she adds, looking at Shouyou.

"Anytime, Ms. Kageyama!" Mrs. Hinata says, equally anxious. Shouyou nods frantically.

"Call me Miwa. We should probably be going, now. Do you have your stuff?" she asks, turning back to me.

Just as I realize that I'd forgotten to grab it, Shouyou hands it to me. I hadn't noticed him holding it earlier. I don't try to thank him this time, just nod.

"Alright, we'll be off, then."

I rise, shakily, and sling my bag over my shoulder. I look at Shouyou.

 _Are you going to ask?_ I mouth, silently.

"Oh!" He exclaims, turning to my mom. "Ms... Miwa, I was wondering... Could I come with to take him to the eye doctor? If it isn't any trouble!" He bows deeply to her.

She pauses, thinking. "Well... sure. If it's fine with your mother." I didn't realize she'd be so kind to Shouyou.

I swallow, thickly.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

The scenery outside the car window is just a mess of colorful blurs. It makes my stomach turn, so I look down at my shoes, instead. Shouyou's asleep beside me, his head on my left shoulder, like it sometimes is on the bus.

Miwa taps a rhythm on the steering wheel. I can at least see that much. I don't notice her anxious glancing in the rearview mirror, though.

"Are we almost there?" I ask Miwa quietly, trying not to wake Shouyou.

She pauses her gum chewing. "'Bout halfway."

I hum. Shouyou begins to drool on my shirt.

"Sho- Hinata! Dumbass!" I push his orange head away.

He yelps, shoving at the hand that's gripping his hair. _Soft..._ My grip relaxes, and my fingers trail through his hair slowly, almost on their own.

"Be quiet back there!"

I jerk my hand away, red, and look back at my shoes. I shove my hands in my lap to keep them from doing anything stupid again. Shouyou is silent, but scoots back next to me. _Closer_ _than earlier._

He pulls out his phone and plays some volleyball video, probably some old match of one of our opponents. His right hand, however, is on the seat between us. His fingertips brush the jeans I'd changed into before we left, but just barely.

Shouyou doesn't even touch me, but electricity shoots up my spine. My stomach feels molten and fluttery again. My mind goes fuzzy, just like my vision, but in... a good way.

_Why? This keeps happening. Why, why, why?_

Of course, the car jumps, and Shouyou's whole body gets jolted just a little towards me. I, on the other hand, get shoved into the door, rather painfully. More importantly, Shouyou's hand is now pressed into my outer thigh.

If the barest hint of a touch sent me careening a minute ago, this shot me directly to heaven.

All my nerves are crackling and sparking. My mind seems to bounce around in my head like a screensaver. My ears feel like they're about to fall off from how hot they feel. My breathing feels light.

_Why?! Nothing's ever made me feel this way. This... combination of embarrassment and terror and excitement and happiness._

All I know is Shouyou is causing it, and I don't dislike it. I see his head look up a bit. Looking at Miwa, I assume. He watches for a moment, then, seemingly satisfied, looks at me.

I look back at him, chewing on my lip. I can see his eyes almost perfectly clearly with how close he is. _How close_ were we _at his house, earlier, for his eyes to be perfectly clear?_ They peer into mine, searching. My ears tingle and burn, but I don't look away.

Shouyou lifts his hand slowly from my bedside my thigh and tugs at my sleeve, gently, never breaking eye contact. The warmth of his hand radiates through the fabric, sending a shiver through me. I blink, and slowly start to pull my hand out of my lap.

"Alright, boys, we're here earlier than I guessed," Miwa says, spinning the steering wheel and turning into a parking lot.

 _How many times?_ Shouyou quickly pulls his hand away and slides just an inch away from me. I bite my lip, feeling lost, like something was ripped from my heart. Distracted, I look out the window at the building we're pulling in front of.

A mansion.

I blink, thinking I'm surely seeing things with these garbage eyes.

It's still there.

A real, genuine mansion. Giant green trees surround us. We're at the end of a long, white, concrete road that leads from the road to the white building itself. I squint, and manage to make out dark, metal fences surrounding everything, including what looks like a marble fountain.

The mansion appears to be several connected sections, the biggest of which is in the middle - the most prominent and open. Japanese flags wave from multiple poles. Red tapestry dangles from the windows.

It seems straight out of a fantasy.

"What... is that?" I ask. "I thought we were going to the eye doctor."

I turn. Shouyou's chin is practically dragging on the floor as he takes photos on his phone. I can't tell what Miwa's expression is very well, but she's silent as she parks. She sits there for a moment, hand on the buckle. Then she presses it and turns around to us.

"This isn't the doctor--" she begins.

"Obviously," I snort, still bewildered.

She just looks at me, eyebrows scrunched. I swallow, my mouth suddenly dry. Shouyou, beside me, goes uncharacteristically still. Either because he doesn't want to interrupt, or because of something else, I can't tell. My hands fidget in my lap.

"Tobio..." Miwa starts again. She pauses, looking down before back up at me, tense. "This is our father's home."

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~


	8. Embroidered Wings

"The Wardrobe is right this way." We follow the clicking of heels.

The hallways are massive, bright, endless. Dozens upon dozens of doors that can't _possibly_ hide so many rooms in one building. Shouyou is stunned into uncharacteristic silence, somehow looking even more out of place than I feel.

Everything is a slightly golden hue: the lights, the wallpaper, the marble floors, the sparse furniture, everything. I can't see the details of much, but I guess that the elaborate and reflective objects hanging above us as we pass are chandeliers.

Miwa mostly stares straight forward, jaw set. She walks jerkily, as if she's forgotten how. But despite all that - she gives off the air that she _knows_ tha place. That she's been here before. I wonder if she really has.

The lady we follow has on a red dress and black heels. Her brown hair is pulled into a tight bun held up by what looks like golden chopsticks.

She never gave her name.

I watch her walk the halls as if she has a map engrained into her head. Finally, we stop at a set of dark, wooden doors at the end of a hallway. I felt numb the entire way, and am already helplessly lost. The floor sways under my feet, and I swallow, trying to pull myself together.

The lady stops, waiting for us to catch up. Then, she pulls open the doors, beckoning us in.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Earlier_

"Tobio... this is our father's home."

I feel a stone drop in my stomach. _Our... father?_ I say nothing; my head shakes, but my mind is somewhere else.

"This is where he lives," she repeats, biting her lip.

"I don't understand." I feel as if I'm speaking through a fish bowl. "Why are we here? Why now? Why a _mansion_ _?_ Miwa, I don't _understand--"_

"I'm sorry. He'll tell you everything, okay? I promise he will, just--"

"We're seeing him?"

Miwa audibly gulps. "Yes."

"Have you seen him?" I ask without thinking.

"What?"

"Have you seen him?" I repeat. "Since he left?"

"I..." She looks down, looking positively miserable. "Yes."

"When?"

"Tobio, this is not the time. Your friend's here, we'll talk about this later, okay?" she pleads.

"I want him here. He can hear whatever you want to say."

Shouyou fidgets, but I don't look at him.

"Tobio - we don't have much time to see him, so _please_ just come with me, and I'll tell you anything you want to know afterwards." I can't see Miwa's expression well, but her eyes peer into mine. "Please."

I glare at her, then look at Shouyou. He looks extremely uncomfortable, I can tell that much. He glances up at me, and my hand twitches at my side.

"Fine. But H - Hinata has to come with me."

"I really don't think he--"

He pipes up. "I can come with - I mean, if it's okay!"

"I'm not going in, Miwa, if he can't come."

Looking between us, she sighs exasperatedly. _"Fine."_

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Present_

She was definitely downplaying it when she called it "The Wardrobe".

Racks and racks of clothing, bright lights and counters, mirrors everywhere you look, shelves of shoes, and what looked like a small group of stylists reclining at the nearest wall, laughing amongst each other.

I blink, jaw dropped. Judging by Shouyou's quiet gasp, I can assume he had a similar reaction. Nothing could compare to the absurd contrast between the locker rooms I'm used to during volleyball matches and this... mansion.

I look at Miwa, snapping my mouth shut. She's furrowing her brow, but I can't tell anything else.

The lady ushers us in, and shuts the door behind us. Immediately, the stylists hop up and practically drag us to pedestal-like platforms, and position us stock-still.

"What is this?" I ask, nervously. Shouyou makes a startled noise when one of the stylists pulls out a tape measure.

Another looks at me and gives me a pearly smile. "We're tailoring you an outfit fit for a king!" They laugh.

The somewhat creepiness of their perfection is dulled down a bit by the sheer amount of _talking_ they do. If not to us, then to each other. Their words begin to blur together until it becomes a low, monotonous drone. A faint part of me wonders if I'm dreaming, or just about to pass out from shock like Shouyou did last night.

After what feels simultaneously like a year and a minute, the stylists pick the final pieces, and carefully fit them to our bodies.

"Well, what do you think?" the stylist who smiled at me earlier asks.

I bite my lip and turn to the mirror as the others do the same. The lights reflect every which way, but... I look good.

The jet black jacket vest matches my hair. My pants are stiff, but hug my legs comfortably. My shoes are black as well, and click when I walk. I look closer at something that catches my eye on the coat: bright, sapphire blue embroidery. The pattern is of loose feathers trailing up and down the hems and sleeves. When I turn around, I catch a glimpse of a small pair of embroidered wings on my back. The thread's hue matches the blue button-up underneath the jacket vest.

I feel uncomfortable in these clothes, but... comfortable, at the same time. It's so different from the uniform I'm used to at school, or for volleyball matches. But I feel tall and... elegant. But I also feel as if I'm dressing up for a play.

I chew on my lip again and turn to the others.

Miwa, as expected, is not in a dress. She refused to wear one all throughout her life, thankfully, as she looks great in her choice of clothing. Instead, she's dressed in black boots, tight black dress pants, and a black jacket with a white button-up underneath. She looks the way she did when she was dressing for prom a few years back. Her hair is up in a messy pony tail, still held up by her paintbrushes; she probably refused anything else.

_Shouyou._

His clothes match mine, but where I have sapphire blue, he dons vivid orange. His orange hair only makes it all the brighter. The wings embroidered on his back are bigger than mine - but then again, he's the one doing all the flying. His jacket vest is unbuttoned, and as are the top few on his button-up. I swallow and glance away from his (blurry) collar bones.

He turns, and widens his already huge, brown eyes at me.

I'm in love with him.

There's no other way to describe it. I never understood what movies meant, but now I do.

I've always been in love with him, from the day I met him. He had no athletic ability, but I could see the wings, even then, propelling him up and up and up until the clouds are his throne. Every time he jumps, he flies. Every time he flies, he goes higher. He grows stronger every single day - and so does my obsession with him.

God, I'm so stupid.

How could I have not noticed?

These stupid outfits made me finally realize. If nothing else, I'll have gained that.

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~


	9. Library of the Past

It felt a bit like we were rehearsing for a play. "Don't do this" and "Don't say that" and "Wear it like this" and "He likes it if you do that". It made me wonder how much I really remembered about the man. My heart thudded when I thought about him - but definitely not the way it does when I think about Shouyou.

_When did I start calling him Shouyou?_

Finally, though, the lady in the red dress led us back out of The Wardrobe and down many more halls. In the deafening silence, broken only by our sharp footsteps, I tried to avoid looking at Shouyou, lest I say something I regret.

Miwa definitely recognizes the door at the end of this hallway, because she sucks in a breath, and her steps falter.

"Miwa?"

"We're almost there; we'll just get this over with." Her voice cracks.

I furrow my brow, and we stop. My knees feel as if they're made of jelly. _Is he really that bad?_

A set of red, wooden double doors lie ahead of us, twice as tall as I am and six times as wide. Two butlers stand on either side of the door. When we approach, they move to the center of the door, grab the handles, and pull it open.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Hinata's POV_

_"Gwah!"_

A massive library. A library bigger than any bookshop I've ever stepped foot in with Natsu. All in Kageyama's father's mansion.

The vibe of the library is different from the rest of the mansion. A path leads down the middle of the room, a long, worn, red rug running down it. On either side, a dozen rows at _least_ of bookshelves reach almost to the ceiling, which has to be thirty feet high. Tall, rolling ladders cling to each shelf.

As we slowly make our way down, I see large windows down the aisles, with thin curtains letting in warm, dim light. Overstuffed armchairs sit by each window. The whole room gives a sense of comfort and a certain timelessness that can be found nowhere else. I quickly pull out my phone and take a photo after overcoming my initial shock.

At the far end of the room is a long table lined with desk chairs and covered in lamps, books, and loose papers. In the centermost chair sits a tall, slim man in an untucked white button up, black slacks, and brown Oxford shoes.

He looks up from his book, setting down his reading glasses and blinking. A warm smile spreads across his face, and his somehow familiar blue eyes sparkle in the lamplight.

"Tobio, my son! How long it's been!"

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Kageyama's POV_

"...Father?" I ask after a pause. I squint, desperately trying to see him clearer.

"Your father," he confirms. He sounds as if he's smiling; I can only hope. "Your sister told me about your eyesight - I'm truly sorry about that. My vision isn't the best either, so I might have a couple pairs of glasses you could try on! Of course, I'll take you to the eye doctor myself, as well."

He steps around the table and strides toward us. He's about my height, maybe a little shorter. His hair, though as dark as mine, is thick and wavy. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out his round, gold-framed glasses and puts them on.

"Miwa, it's good to see you again!" he says, smiling at my sister.

"You, too, father!" She flashes a wide grin.

I blink. _I haven't seen her grin like that in a long, long time. I don't understand what's happening._ I look at Shouyou, though he probably has even less of an idea what's going on.

He looks back at me and, although confused, grins, seeming to love the library. It's blurry, but even so, my heart pounds hard in my chest. I look away quickly before my ears can burn any hotter.

My father claps his hands and smiles at us. "So! Oh, right, you're probably confused... But first! Who is this young man?" He asks, looking at Shouyou.

Shouyou jumps, then bows, his nose nearly touching the floor. "My name's Hinata, sir! I'm Kageyama's... teammate on the Karasuno High volleyball team. Thank you for having me!"

Startled, my father pauses a moment, eyes wide. Then, he laughs, loudly. "Well, alright then! Welcome to my home! For however long it _is_ mine, at least."

Shouyou smiles, sheepishly. "Thank you, sir!"

_What did he mean by "for however long"?_

My father nods at him, then turns to me. "Tobio. My little Tobio. The last time I saw you, you barely went up to my thigh! How handsome you've grown up to be. You've finally filled out your clothes! Speaking of clothes, what ever did my friends dress you in? Don't get me wrong, it's wonderful, but--"

"I... remember." I say. I do remember. I remember him picking me up, swinging me around, laughing. I remember the old wooden floorboards that creaked no matter how softly you stepped.

I also remember the sounds of an ambulance. The blue and red lights. The rain, thundering, pouring down. I remember him crying, crouching and holding me and Miwa tightly to him.

"You must be confused! I'll explain, come, sit!" my father says, interrupting my thoughts.

He ushers us all to the table after taking all our jackets and setting them on a spare chair. Even without Shouyou's embroidered wings, I can still see them, sprouting full and powerful from his back. An angel of flight.

We sit: my father in his centermost chair, and us in the three in front of him. I'm on Shouyou's left, and Miwa on his right.

"Well, how to begin..."

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Your mother, Tobio, was in an accident. When you were only seven, a car suddenly braked on the highway in front of her... She was_ _rushed_ _to the hospital, but didn't make it._

_After that night,_ _I_ _wasn't the same. I couldn't take care of you. So_ _I_ _sent you and Miwa to stay with your aunt and uncle. For so, so long_ _I_ _sat in the quiet, staring out the window, watching the sky shift._

_One day, a man appeared on my doorstep. Not any man in particular, but he had this look on his face. And so for the first time in years,_ _I_ _stood, and_ _walked_ _to the door, and greeted the man before me. He said nothing, just looked at me with that same odd, odd face - and handed me a letter._

_A letter from my mother._

_"Son._

_It has been so long since we've talked. I'm so sorry. I wish_ _I_ _could've seen you before writing this."_

_The letter was a farewell, full of regret. But it_ _was_ _also_ _full_ _of_ _hope. Hope, and love, and kindness._

_Enclosed, as well, was her will._

_Her entire fortune, as well as her mansion._

_I was in shock. I looked up to the man at my_ _doorstep_ _, but he was gone. I didn't look for him._

_I collected the fortune and went to the mansion. Over time, I've managed to build myself up, make myself_ _whole_ _again. As whole as_ _I_ _can be, at least. I won't_ _ever_ _be able to get over your mother, but I've accepted it, and_ _I_ _can smile again._

_I haven't spent a single penny of her fortune, however, besides to pay my friends. They work, even when_ _I_ _tell them not to, and_ _I_ _cannot have them doing so without giving something in return. Otherwise,_ _I_ _haven't spent her money. I've lived in_ _her_ _mansion, but have kept it as spotless as it ever was._

_For many years,_ _I_ _lived like this. I feared at first that I'd become accustomed to this life, but every morning I'm still surprised at the_ _sheer_ _expanse of this building. And at how many times_ _I_ _have to tell my friends here not to do tasks for me, or call_ _me_ _"sir"..._

_But recently, I've decided to sell the mansion. I have no need for it. I will relieve my_ _friends_ _of_ _their duty, along with a nice sum, and make sure they_ _have_ _housing and work before they're gone._

_Of course,_ _I_ _will stay in touch with them. They are my friends, after all! And they are always welcome... wherever_ _I_ _end up living._

_Anyways_ _, my point is that I'm_ _selling_ _the mansion, and_ _moving_ _out. And, if you so_ _desire_ _..._ _I_ _will live with and take care of you and your sister._

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~


	10. Homesickness and Home

_Live with... and_ _take_ _care of... Miwa and I?_

"Father..." I begin after he finishes speaking, voice cracking.

It feels as if all the thoughts were whirling around my head in a washing machine. My mouth feels dry as I look down at the table, hands clenching into fists in my lap. I half expect my father to laugh and say it's all a joke - but of course, that doesn't happen. I blink, suddenly dizzy.

I look at Shouyou. His bright orange hair is illuminated by the light behind him. It looks like autumn leaves just before they turned red. His eyes were wide, mouth open, in an apparent loss for words. _Unusual for him. But even now, he looks..._

My father claps his hands, making me jump and snap my focus back on his blurry figure. "Of course, I've given you and your sister a lot to think about! I won't make you two decide today. You can have as long as you need! I can stay in a hotel, if you're still sitting on it when I leave this place. Although," he adds with a faint smile, "I will miss this library."

I look down at my hands in my lap, furrowing my brow. It feels like it's been years since I last touched a volleyball, and these clothes are starting to feel uncomfortable. I suddenly feel a pang of homesickness that makes the corners of my eyes burn.

"I..." I don't know what to say. My world feels as if it's shifting around me like sand between my fingers. I put my hands on my knees and grip them tightly, trying to clear my head. _Dizzy..._

A hand grips mine. I stare at its smallness - its fragility. I follow the length of the arm to Shouyou. He's looking straight forward, studying my father. His expression seems to have hardly changed at all, and from my father's point of view, it'd look like Shouyou hadn't moved.

But he holds tight to the back of my hand, warm and comforting. Despite how thin his fingers are, they're strong and calloused. The pang of homesickness dulls a bit. He runs his thumb along my hand.

Suddenly, my face burns. I duck my head, breath hitching. _Dumbass Shouyou, what is he thinking!?_

My father rises, clapping his hands again. "Well! Now, onto other matters. Glasses!"

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

In the end, I took a pair of round, black glasses. I'd have preferred rectangular, but the pair he had were... not my style. Anyhow, I decided to wait to put them on so I didn't break them.

My father took the clothes from us, saying he'd get them cleaned and find a way to get them back to us sometime. Now, he stands by the marble fountain in front of the mansion. With a wave of his hand and a wobbly grin, he bids us goodbye.

For the second time today, I watch the scenery fly by through the car window. I lift the glasses to my eyes for a minute, relishing the clarity of the evening sun. My stomach growls, having only eaten breakfast.

"Mrs., uh, Miwa?" Shouyou pipes up as we drive down the road.

"Hm?"

"Is... is Kageyama going home?" he asks.

My leg bounces, and I press it firmly to the floor.

"Depends. Y'think you can make sure he doesn't break his glasses?"

I blink, lifting my chin from my hand and looking at them. Shouyou bears a wide grin.

"Yes, ma'am!" he replies, dutifully.

I quickly get over my shock. "Hey! I don't need him to--"

He whacks me on the arm, laughing. I glare at him, but his laugh... The corner of my mouth twitches, and I look away again, trying to compose myself.

"You do and you know it," Miwa says, but she also seems lighthearted. "Besides, I had already been planning on you staying the weekend, because a few of my friends are coming over tomorrow. Though, Hinata, can you make sure it's still fine with your mother?"

"Oh, yeah! Just a second." He hums the tune from yesterday as he pulls out his phone.

I yawn, causing tears to spring up in my eyes. Though I struggle to keep my eyes open, the car's rumbles and Shouyou's humming lull me to sleep.

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_"Mom!"_

_I'm standing on the sidewalk, unable to move, forced to watch the scene in the street before me. My mother, in her too small blue car, driving down the highway. A grey van driving in front of her - a black car driving behind her. Some animal leaping out from my right, bounding across the road._

_The van brakes with the horrible sound of screeching tires. My mother's car slams, full speed, into the back of the van. The car behind her swerves away from the collision, driving down the ditch, into the forest._

_Through her car's windows, all_ _I_ _can see is air bags and broken glass._

_Horns, sirens, screaming. Thunder booms, loud and sudden, and lightning cracks across the sky. The evening turns midnight black. Rain sprinkles, then patters, then thunders down._

_"Mom..."_

"--geyama!" Shouyou is in front of my face.

I jolt back, slamming my head against my headrest. My breathing comes in pants, and my dream slowly melts away. I run my hand through my hair, trying to slow my pounding heart, and glare up at him.

"... Dumbass..."

Shouyou gasps, mock offended. "You've been sleeping for ages! My mom said you can stay, and we're here, so... Kageyama?"

He's leaning in through my car door on the right, one hand on the seat on my left by my thigh, holding himself up. _His face... is so close..._

"'Yama..." He gulps.

"Well, hurry up, you two! You're letting mosquitoes into the car!" Miwa calls from somewhere outside. I jump. Shouyou jumps as well, and ducks out of the car.

"Sorry!"

I step out after unbuckling and grabbing my bag. My ears burn as I shut the door, looking around. Shouyou and Miwa are walking to the front door, talking about something just out of earshot. The sky is dark, but not completely black yet. I can see a smudge of color on the horizon, slowly fading. We've been gone a long time, somehow.

"Brother, if you don't get over here--"

"I'm coming, calm down!"

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_"I'm... sorry for dragging you into all this with my father."_ My throat catches, but I manage to say it.

Laying here on the guest _futon,_ in an unfamiliar room... somehow, it soothes my homesickness. The darkness wraps around me, but not uncomfortably. I breathe in the smell of Shouyou, resisting the urge to fall asleep before hearing his answer. My hands clutch the blanket at my sides.

He speaks after a moment, though his voice is soft. _"I asked to come; I don't mind."_

_We both thought it was the eye doctor, though._

_"'Yama,"_ he begins before I can speak, and clears his throat. I look over at him. _"At your father's..."_

I gulp, frozen. _"Yeah..?"_ Silence. Then, soft snoring. He fell asleep in the middle of trying to tell me something.

I smile, looking up at the glow-in-the-dark stars. _"Goodnight, Shouyou."_

~•°•°-----------------°•°•~

  
_"Kageyama, help me!"_


	11. Moonlit Tears and Midnight Deals

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Earlier_

When we'd gotten back to Shouyou's place, his mother had hugged me tightly, saying how worried she'd been about me. It was so different from what I was used to - but after I'd gotten over my shock... it was comforting. Afterwards, we'd ordered pizza and talked about our time at my father's mansion.

"The place was MASSIVE!" Shouyou had exclaimed, nearly falling over. "Gold everywhere, sparkling lights... They even made us change into these suits to meet his dad!"

He'd rambled on and on, showing his mother and I the pictures he'd taken. His grin never faded as he talked. I nodded every now and then. It was oddly relieving, hearing him describe what we'd been through. It was as if I hadn't been quite sure it was all _real,_ given how fantastical it had been.

Mrs. Hinata had been just as fascinated as Shouyou, laughing and gasping in astonishment. Natsu was even more enthralled, becoming the definition of wonder as she listened to his story and studied the photos closely. I had tried not to smile, and succeeded - for the most part.

After dinner, we'd gone to Shouyou's room, exhausted. He made me try on my glasses. His grin fell into an odd expression I've never seen on him before, though. His lips were parted, slightly, and his eyes were enormous. He tore his eyes away from me, red faced.

"Y'look dumb as ever! Glasses-yama!" he'd said loudly, still furrowing at the floor.

I tackled him.

~•°•°-------------------------°•°•~

_Present_

_"Kageyama, help me!"_

I shoot upright with a gasp and look around the room. Seeing nothing out of place, I blink. _It sounded like Shouyou had called out to me..._ Craning my neck, I peer at his bed. He's still there.

I hug my knees to my chest, watching him. His blankets rise and fall slowly as he breathes. _I wonder if I'd just dreamt it, then..._ He kicks out in his sleep, and a stuffed animal falls to the floor.

 _Shouyou really does remind_ _me_ _of a dog when he sleeps..._ He kicks out again and grumbles into his pillow. I snicker, quietly. Getting to my feet and moving over to him, I stifle a yawn. He's jostled when I sit on the edge of his bed, but doesn't wake up.

His brow is furrowed, squeezing his eyes shut, and his jaw is clenched. He kicks out again, though thankfully not at me. Hearing the soft _pap_ of another fallen animal, I almost start to feel bad for them. He mumbles again, curling inwards on his side.

His eyelashes sparkle in the moonlight, and a teardrop slides down his cheek, his nose, before falling to the sheet in a glimmer.

 _Shouyou's_ _... crying?_ Another drop slides down, faster this time, and I shut my jaw with a click. _Why_ _can_ _I_ _see it so clearly without my glasses? Oh. His face... is so close to mine..._ A damp spot is forming on his pillow.

My eyes burn, and I rub at them, trying to get it to stop. _Why am_ I _crying?_ I take a deep, shuddering breath, before tentatively reaching out to his shoulder. I tap it and, getting no response, shake it lightly.

 _"Sh - Shouyou, wake up,"_ I whisper, softer than I'd thought I was capable of. _"Shouyou."_

His eyes flutter open, and he rubs the drying tears away with a yawn. He lets out a soft noise when he sees my hand hovering over him.

_"Oh, 'Yama... I didn't wake you up or anything, did I?"_

"Ah, not really, but..." I look away, glancing out the window over his bed. The street is dark, save for the glowing streetlamps, one of which flickers. "I looked over at you, and you were..."

~•°•°--------------------------°•°•~

_Hinata's POV_

I rub my eyes with a yawn. Looking up, I see Kageyama with his hand hovering above my arm, as though he'd just shaken me awake. The moon shines through my window upon him, giving him the appearance of having a halo the color of moonlight.

His eyes glimmer, refracting the blue in them like a perfect gemstone, or a mirror beside the ocean. They lock with mine, and his cheeks redden slightly. He doesn't look scary. Instead, he looks... _Beautiful._

I make a startled noise at the thought, and try to focus on the situation at hand.

"Oh, 'Yama, I didn't... wake you, did I?"

Kageyama's hand twitches, and he draws it back towards himself slightly. He doesn't seem to notice it hovering above my side. "Oh, not... really. But..." He looks out the window for a second, almost making me think he'd read my mind a moment ago. "I looked over at you, and you were..."

He hesitates, letting his hand fall. It brushes my side on its way to his own, and my muscles jolt where it touched. I suck in a breath, and my face flushes. _When did_ _I_ _become so in love with the boy_ _I_ _used to hate so strongly?_

His eyes widen. "Ah! Did I hurt you?" _And w_ _hen did_ _he_ _become so concerned about me?_

"No! You just... startled me," I reassure him, though my heart pounds so hard in the silence, he surely must hear it. My ears burn as I sit up, rearranging my limbs so I'm sitting cross-legged in front of him. "Sorry..."

"No, it's..." He flushes crimson. _Why is the King of the Court embarrassed? Did_ _I_ _say something wrong?_ "Sorry, I - I got off track. Sh-Shou, you were crying; that's why I woke you up."

"Oh. It's fine, just - just a nightmare." _He saw me crying... and he's not making fun of me for it? It_ _seems_ _both of us_ _have_ _changed..._

"--yours."

"What?" I furrow my brow, having only caught the last word of what he'd said.

He looks down at his fidgeting hands. _He's nervous?_ "Dumbass, I said I'll tell you my nightmares... if you tell me yours."

"You have nightmares?"

"Don't rub it in!" Kageyama glares, leaning forward with his Scary Face.

I hold my hands up by my head, eyes widening. "I'm not, I swear!" _He's so close..._ He huffs and looks away after a moment, ears red.

"Then... do we have a deal..?" It seems to pain him to have a deal with me, even if we're teammates.

"...Okay."


	12. Swapping Dreams

"...Okay."

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Kageyama's POV_

I swallow. Nervousness creeps through my veins like it does before a game - but I try to hide it well. Besides, I don't need to be nervous. It's just Shouyou. And he has nightmares, too.

"I'll go first, then?" I ask, somewhat reluctantly.

"Yes, please," Shouyou replies, slightly pink.

I take a deep, shuddering breath. He untangles a blanket and hands it to me, sheepishly. I blink and take it, wrapping it around my shoulders. Our knees bump as we shift, and his muscles jolt again. I pretend not to notice, while my heart is pounding like crazy.

I take another breath, and let it out in a _whoosh_ , furrowing my eyebrows. Shouyou's hair flutters.

"Well... the first one I had was about you," I start. He looks up in surprise, but I continue. "We were playing volleyball at the Tokyo gym. And... you called out for me to toss to you, but when I turned, you were gone. Instead, there was this pillar made of moss and rock and branches lined with crows. I kept trying to see the top, and the place sort of... changed? It became a forest with huge trees.

"When I finally looked at the top, I saw a throne. Then it changed again, and I was kneeling in front of the throne in this really odd palace... It actually kind of reminds me of the mansion, now. But I looked up, and on the throne was... was Oikawa."

Shouyou gasps, leaning forward. "The Grand King?!"

"Don't call him that, dumbass!" I kick his foot.

"Yeah, yeah... Is that the whole dream?"

"Well, kind of. I got woken up, and you pulled me off the cot, so I basically got knocked out and started dreaming again."

"Ooh, what did you dream next?" he asks without apologizing for knocking me out.

"It was Oikawa again," I begin. "This time, he spoke. He said something like... 'Back so soon?' Like he'd remembered me from my earlier dream. Anyways, I couldn't see him anywhere, so he basically told me I'd gone blind. So obviously I was a bit freaked out when I woke up and could barely see anything."

"The Grand-- I mean, Oikawa - is a jerk! It sounds awful... Do you think it means something? Like, do you think he's why your vision's all blurry?" Shouyou asks, pulling his blankets closer to himself.

"Of course not, dumbass. It was just coincidence."

"Oh."

I squint at him for a moment, but that makes it even harder to see clearly, so I clear my throat and look away. "I have a couple more, but... you can tell yours first, if you want."

"Oh, uh--" Shouyou fidgets in embarrassment, as if he'd forgotten he's sharing his as well. "I have two, also, so... I'll tell you the one I had a couple days ago, first, then you can tell yours, and I can tell my last one... if that's okay?"

"Yeah."

He clears his throat and begins, sounding almost as if he were telling a ghost story. "The day before you came over, or something like that, I had the first bad dream I'd had in years.

_'Natsu? Natsu,_ _where_ _are you?'_

"I looked everywhere, first in town, then at home when I appeared there. I couldn't find Natsu.

_'Natsu! Mom! Kageyama!!'_

"I called out every name I could think of, including yours. It felt like walking through mud or water or something. Time felt like it'd nearly stopped.

_'Hinata?'_

"I heard you say my name. At least, I'm pretty sure it was you. I thought so in my dream, so... I don't know why you were the one who answered.

_'Kageyama? Where are you!? It's so hard to see!'_

_'...Not worth it... Goodbye, Hinata.'_

"You said I wasn't worth it to save, and you... you said goodbye. I woke up feeling like there was a boulder sitting on my chest. I couldn't move, or speak, or think, or hardly breath. All I felt was pure terror. Then, the weight slowly lifted, and I could finally move again.

"Uh, anyways..." Shouyou flushes. "That was... one of my dreams..."

I frown, clenching my fists. "I'm... sorry. I wouldn't say that. That sounds... terrifying. I've only had one anywhere near that awful."

He rubs the back of his neck at my first words, but quickly sits up straight as I speak. "Tell me!"

"No."

"Why not!?"

"That one's the second one, I'll tell you it last."

"Fine... What happened in this one, then?"

"Well... it's shorter than the others. It was me and Oikawa as kids. There wasn't anything to see, it was just us talking. He was trying to get me to do something, like prank a teacher... I told him I couldn't, because I was doing homework. He told me I'd need glasses, like him, so I made fun of him.

"Our conversation kind of just trailed away, and I heard your kitchen clock. Then I drifted into the other dream, but I'll tell you that in a second," I finish, awkwardly.

"Ooh, that sounds so weird! Was that after we'd said you should go to the eye doctor?" Shouyou asks.

"Yeah. Dunno why it was Oikawa again, though... That jackass."

Shouyou laughs quietly, a beautiful sound. My breath hitches and I swallow, looking away.

"Well, uh, I guess I'll tell you my last one, then you do the same," I say

"Okay!" He smiles at me. _H_ _e's so beautiful..._ _I_ _can't think_ _straight_ _._

"I heard you speaking, again. We were in your house. I looked around, and saw you in the hallway. You were begging me to help you, but you were just standing there.

"Your mouth wasn't moving, either, as if you were talking through a speaker or something. As if you could really call it a mouth, anyways... It was like a black blob, kinda spazzing out where your mouth should've been.

"I think it was because the night before, you'd been looking at me in the dark. The shadows had done even creepier things to your face than normal--"

"Shut up about that!"

"--so it must've appeared in my nightmare. Anyways, you wouldn't look at my eyes, only just over my shoulder. Then, you said I should wake up, and you really did look into my eyes. But... they were Oikawa's eyes, not yours. Then I woke up."

Shouyou fell silent for a minute, biting his lip. "That sounds... really scary. I hope you don't have another like that..!"

I look away, red. "It's fine... just tell me yours."


	13. Anguished Eyes

_'~Hushabye, hushabye...~_ '

_Warm_ _arms_ _wrap_ _around me, holding me close to a comforting chest._

' _~My good baby, sleep.~'_

_My eyes flutter, but stay closed, as I'm gently rocked._

' _~Where did my boy's baby sitter go?~'_

_A warm breeze tickles my orange hair, and_ _I_ _let out a sigh._

' _~Beyond that mountain, back to her home.~'_

_The distant sound of cicadas is the music to the lullaby._

' _~As a souvenir from her home, what did you get?~'_

_The heart I'm curled up against beats slow and steady like drums._

_'~A toy drum and a shō flute.~'_

_I_ _slowly_ _drift_ _off to sleep as_ _the_ _lullaby is repeated._

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_"Shouyou, wake up! Wake up, wake up!"_

_A weight lands on my bed, but_ _I_ _am unable to open my eyes or move. A cold stone of fear settles in my stomach, though_ _the_ _voice is familiar._

_"Big brother, open your eyes! Why won't you get up?"_

_I can't move my lungs to breath in air._

_"Shouyou! I'm gonna tell mom if you don't get up!"_

_I can't breath,_ _I_ _can't breath,_ _I_ _can't--_

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_"Hinata."_

_I suck in a deep breath, but I no longer feel starved of air. I_ _gasp_ _it in, anyways. After a minute of rejoicing life, kneeling,_ _I_ _look up. Nothing. I rise, and turn, looking in all directions. A distant shadow._

_I walk, and get there both never and instantly. Nothingness, and everything, is all around me. Living and dead shadows crawl on my footsteps, warping them into mirrors._

_"Hinata."_

_Blue eyes. Sharp, clear cut. The only thing_ _I_ _can see. Staring, slicing through my soul. They're sad, angry, tired, excited, nervous,_ _s_ _trong, and so, so blue._

_"Tobio?"_

_Why did_ _I_ _say his given name? It's written all_ _around_ _me, written in my thoughts, floating in every_ _space_ _around me. It's everywhere, everywhere._ _Tobio._

_"Tobio!"_

_The_ _word is unfamiliar in my mouth, but it lights a fire in the pit of my stomach_ _when_ _I_ _do. A burning, fluttering fire that makes my insides feel molten._ _It's the only name_ _I_ _can say._

_"Shouyou."_

_I look again. My given name? Questions fill my thoughts that pull and ebb like the coastline. I watch him, his_ _strong_ _body, his long hands, his blue eyes, his steady feet, his dark hair._

_And he_ _turns_ _his back, and walks away._

_I'm frozen, unable to move, shocked and terrified and desperate and so, so sad. Tears flood down my cheeks as_ _I_ _try as hard as_ _I_ _can to lift my feet off the ground. Black, bloody feathers flutter to the ground around my feet, and my back burns._

_It bu_ _rns, burns, burns, like the skin has been torn viciously from it. Like my heart had been wrenched out and_ _ripped_ _to shreds and cast away like trash._

_He just walks, fading into the distance,_ _without_ _so much as a glance over his shoulder - and_ _then_ _he's gone._

_The world crumbles and collapses around me. Sobs wrack my body, make me shudder, make me shout into the sky in anguish, make me dry heave until_ _I_ _can't feel my throat._ _But all_ _I_ _can do is stand there, frozen in time._

_I'm_ _dying_ _, I'm broken, I'm_ _so_ _, so heavy,_ _I_ _can't_ _move_ _,_ _I_ _can't_ _breath_ _,_ _I_ _can't_ _fly._ _All_ _I_ _can do is feel the tears roll down my face, make my skin wet and sticky, and oh, how my eyes_ _burn._

_Tobio, Tobio,_ Tobio, _please, come back, come back,_ please _._

_Please..._

~•°•°-------------------°•°•~

_Kageyama's POV_

By the time Shouyou had finished speaking, I'd already begun to feel tears sliding down my cheeks. They run down my nose and to my chin but I don't move to wipe them away.

The emotion that had made his voice thick was what made my eyes prickle - not the description of his dreams. My eyes had burned and burned until he was finished speaking, still looking down at his hands.

Shouyou doesn't look up for a minute, but when he does, he lets out a small gasp. His eyes grow huge shocked and scared and they make me think of how he felt when I turned my back in his dream.

My throat constricts and my body shakes, making it hard to breathe as my bangs fall into my eyes slightly. I've never felt so... overwhelmed. I know I shouldn't be crying over just a dream... but I know how it feels to be abandoned.

Shouyou's hand lifts, tentative, but doesn't move from where it hovers just above my knee. The worry in my eyes makes me feel brittle, and I mentally kick myself. I bite my lip in an attempt to stop crying, to stop showing emotion, but I can't. The hand above my knee makes some last, thread of common sense snap, somewhere within me.

"Sh--" I try to speak, but my throat stops me. _"Shou--"_

He makes a sharp noise and can't stop himself. He crashes into me, burying his wet face into my chest as I nearly fall off the bed. He squeezes me, sobbing a damp spot on my shirt. His warmth spreads through me, making my ears burn. I freeze only for a moment.

I pull him closer, the way you'd lift a cat up under its arms, and into my lap. His legs wrap around my waist. His tears, though still flowing fast, begin to slow. The absurdity of the situation has me choking back an odd, strangled laugh as my cheeks begin to dry.

I take deep, shuddering breaths that shake my body. A flash of self-consciousness darts through me at the thought that Shouyou can feel it, but is quickly tampered when I realize I can feel his chest moving as well. His head is pressed under my chin as he hiccups, jarring me slightly. I clutch the back of his shirt and bury my other hand into his hair.

My voice feels raw and full of cracks when I finally try to speak, even after clearing my throat. "I - I won't abandon you like that," I promise, a hoarse whisper above his head.

Shouyou hiccups again, then leans back, unwinding his arms from around me. His hands grip the hem of my shirt as he straightens. His watery brown eyes, rimmed with red, peer into mine, as if trying to determine whether or not I'm telling the truth.

His cheeks are red, and he looks exhausted. My fingers, having fallen from his hair and back, clench at the sides of his shirt. He hiccups again, but is otherwise oddly quiet. The moonlight through the window makes his skin milky where it isn't blotched, and his hair pale orange where it isn't buried in shadow.

He leans up, and kisses me.


	14. Black-Feathered Angel

My eyes grow huge, and I don't have time to react before Shouyou pulls back. He's flushed with embarrassment, and starts rambling off an apology. Ignoring him, I bring a hand up to brush it across my lips.

"Soft."

Shouyou looks back at me nervously, his hands still tightly gripping the hem of my shirt. "What?" he asks.

I thread my fingers back into his hair and pull his face to mine, pressing our lips together with a tilted head. He's the one frozen this time, but only for a second, and then he's kissing me back, tasting like toothpaste and salt.

It's slow at first, my heart beating fast and nervous in my chest, and a little awkward - we have no idea what to do. But Shouyou's small hands clench my shirt, then my sides, then they slide up my back to the base of my neck, pulling me closer. I shiver.

I pull away just long enough to ask "I - Is this okay?" before he cranes his neck to press his lips to mine again.

 _"Yes,"_ he gasps.

Our lips slot together, warm and soft and wet and salty. He seems so small with his chest pressed to the spot between my own and my stomach. But the strength with which he pulls me close quickly banishes any thoughts of accidentally hurting him. We're flying - his wings carrying me higher than I've ever been, and my heart leaps and soars.

He pushes until I fall on my back on his bed with my knees still bent and he's sitting on my lap with his knees on either side of my hips and leaning over me and _I'm being straddled by Hinata Shouyou_ _._

He pants, catching his breath as it fans over my face. His hands press on my shoulders, supporting himself above me. He weighs little more than I'd have expected; so _small_ _._ My mind can't form words. It spins and spins and spins, warm and fuzzy and all I want is _Shouyou_ _._

Shouyou closes his eyes for a moment, seeming to restrain himself, and slows his breathing. Then he looks back down at me with a gulp. His orange hair frames his face. Always a halo - a halo of sunshine.

His eyes are determined, though still rimmed with faint red. His voice is utterly wrecked as he opens his mouth and asks the question that makes my heart _throb._ "Will you be my boyfriend?"

I shift my hands from the bed to Shouyou's own at my shoulders. I slide mine under his palms, lifting them up and forcing him to shift his weight to his legs momentarily. I ignore the weight on my lap. I thread our fingers before bringing them on either side of my head, and his weight resettles to his hands, pressing mine into the bed.

Neither of us break eye contact, even as our faces flush.

"Okay."

An involuntary grin spreads across my face. My rival, my teammate, my perfect black-feathered angel - my boyfriend. Though the word is strange, it feels as if the world is slowly clicking into place. Or as if gears are slowly beginning to grind, or every moment has led up to this one.

He grins the biggest grin I've ever seen, his eyes _shining_ , and he leans over me and presses his mouth to mine like there's nothing he'd rather be doing. And honestly, there's nothing I'd rather be doing either.

"Okay," he whispers, just inches from my face, still grinning.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

It's comfortable sleeping in Shouyou's bed. The feeling was unfamiliar at first, and took me a few minutes to get, used to, but... it's a barrier from the outside world. He holds my head to his chest, my arms wrapped around his waist, and his legs wrapped around mine. 

As we sleep, the sky ever so slowly brightens. From midnight's pitch black comes a deep, royal purple. Then comes a brighter maroon, then a fiery red, then the orange of Shouyou's hair, and then the yellow of breaking dawn. The stars and moon fade, bringing instead the sun. 

We sleep well into the morning before Natsu comes pounding on the door. "Wake up, sleepy heads!" she calls, before running back down the hall full of laughter.

I open my eyes with a groan. I stiffen with shock when I realize I'm not in my own bed - but soon remember last night's events. The corner of my mouth twitches as I pull my face from Shouyou's chest and watch him blurrily drool on the pillow.

Obviously, I tug at his hair until he wakes up, grumbling obscenities. Even so, he grins at me with tired, mostly shut eyes. The sight tugs disgustingly at my heartstrings, and my eyes prickle as I fight the urge to cry _again_. He notices anyway, of course.

"Are you okay?" Shouyou asks. His eyes open at little more with worry, and he goes still.

"I'm fine, dumbass. It's just... new." I say softly.

He grins, eyes closing again, before tilting my head up and pressing a kiss to my face that misses my lips and instead gets the corner of my mouth. "That's okay," he mumbles. Another kiss. I can't help but smile a little.

"Brush your teeth, dumbass."

Shouyou scoffs, giving me a shove, but slowly untangles himself. "First, put on your glasses."

"Why?" I yawn, sitting up and all but falling out of the bed and onto the floor.

He slides down as well, rubbing his eyes. "One, so you can see, and two, because..." he trails off.

"What?" I yank my bag towards me and fish out the glasses, blinking away the sleep. He crouches behind me, leaning in to whisper in my ear.

"Because you look like a hot nerd."

I tackle him to the floor, laughing.

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_"Nerd,"_ Natsu teases, upon seeing my glasses. We sit at the counter, side by side, eating breakfast. My vision is wonderfully crisp and clear, but a twinge of self-consciousness nags at me again.

"I think they make him look like a handsome young man!" Mrs. Hinata grins at me, scrubbing at a plate.

Shouyou shoots me a pointed look, and I choke on my cereal.


	15. Flooded

The voice message crackles through the speakers. "Due to a flood in Miyagi Prefecture, school has been cancelled for this week and until further notice. Thank you for your cooperation, and enjoy the break!"

The phone on the carpet between us falls silent. Then Shouyou leaps into the air, cheering, and I grin to myself, pushing up my glasses. _A_ _whole_ _week!_ _I should tell my sister..._ I frown, realizing I won't be able to spend the week at Shouyou's.

He looks down at me, noticing. "What's wrong, 'Yama?"

I voice my thoughts, chewing on the inside of my cheek. "I wouldn't want to bother your mother by overstaying my welcome, though, so it's probably a good thing..." I add, a bit glumly.

 _"MA!"_ he shouts, barely after I finish, darting away.

"Wait, Sh - Hinata--!" I scramble to my feet, holding my glasses on my nose. I run after the flash of orange that careens down the hall.

When I catch up to him, he's collapsed on his mother's floor, panting, though still speaking rapidly.

"MacanKageyamastayoverthiswholeweeksinceschool'soutifit'sokaywithhissister!?"

My head spins. "Wait - it's okay, I don't have to--"

"Oh, you're welcome anytime! As long as it's okay with your sister, of course," Mrs. Hinata says with a kind smile. "It's just another person to test new recipes on!"

I feel my eyes welling up at the intense kindness, but I rub them away, pretending to wipe my glasses. "Okay, I - I'll talk to my sister, then. Thank you so much, ma'am," I say, bowing slightly in embarrassment.

She laughs, and turns back towards her computer. Swaying slightly, I let Shouyou lead me to the livingroom, and we sit back down. _A_ _whole_ _week..._ _I need to call my sister..._ When he sees me pulling out my phone, he grins and leans forward, hands in his lap.

 _I'm glad I can see his grin clearly again..._ I keep that thought to myself and press the call button. It rings for a moment, then clicks as Miwa answers.

"What's up?"

I click the speaker button. "Miwa, Sho - uuuhhh. Hinata. Got a voice message from the school. Apparently it flooded, so it's cancelled--"

"-- For a _week_ _!"_ he butts in.

"Sounds like a nice, long break," Miwa says, yawning. "I'm jealous. What about it?"

I push up my glasses, nervously. "Well, I - we - were wondering if I'd be able to stay at his house for the week? Maybe not the whole week, but his mother's okay with it, so--"

"Little Tobio, I'm literally baking right now - you better eat it. Here, what about this: either you come home tomorrow to eat what I'm baking, or you invite your friend over tomorrow as well. Either way, you can stay over there the rest of the week until Saturday. That's when we're going to see father again."

I gulp: I'd almost completely forgotten about my father. Glancing up at Shouyou, it looks like he nearly did as well. I'm so absorbed in my forgetfulness that it takes me a moment to process what else she'd said.

"Oh, uh - yes! Sorry, I was... sorry. I'll talk to his mom, and... yeah. Th - thanks." I somehow manage to speak with my rapidly clenching throat.

"Sure thing, kid, just text or call when you've got something figured out," Miwa says, somewhat amused. She sounds just like an older sister.

"Okay."

"Love you!"

"You too," I reply, before hanging up and heaving a deep sigh of relief.

"Well?" Shouyou asks, eyes shining. He'd been watching the cartoon that Natsu'd put on the TV for the last half of my call.

"She said I have to come home tomorrow, but then I can come back here till Saturday. I have to ask your mom, though, if you can come over tomorrow, too, so..."

"Okay! I'll ask her for you," he grins, seeing my probably exhausted face. Relieved, I flop backwards onto the floor with another sigh as Shouyou darts back down the hall. I take off my glasses and absentmindedly wipe them on my shirt for a minute.

 _I'm so glad_ _I_ _have him as a... boyfriend. He's my boyfriend. Hinata Shouyou is my boyfriend. The entire sun condensed into one person with_ _ridiculously_ _orange hair. My boyfriend._ _He's obnoxious_ _and loud and_ _pretty much the exact opposite of me a lot of the time._

_But... he can also be quiet and thoughtful_ _. Those big brown eyes_ _hold so many secrets and he's_ _kind_ _on instinct_ _even_ _when he picks fun_ _and_ _he's... my boyfriend._

_And h_ _is lips... are so_ _soft_ _. His arms are thin, but gentle and warm. His hands are calloused, but nimble and deft. His legs are twitchy, but strong and energetic. His eyes are brown, but give a whole new meaning to the word._ _His hair is violent, but the color of sunsets._

Just then Shouyou trips into the livingroom, falling on his face. He looks up at me as I sit up, shocked. Blood drips from his nose even as he grins wildly.

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

  
"H - Hinata! Your nose! Bleeding!" I shout, shooting up and running to the bathroom to get toilet paper. Once gathered, I skid into the livingroom and throw the wad at the back of his head.

"Kageyama, guess - ouch - guess what!" Shouyou takes the toilet paper from the floor and wipes at his nose before pressing it into his nostril. I fight the urge to sneeze as I sit in front of him. "Guess what!"

"How did you manage to get a bloody nose from carpet, dumbass..." I mutter, half to myself. With an extra bit of tissue I'd saved, I wipe off the rest of the blood from his face, holding his face still with my other hand. I ignore my pounding heart.

 _"Guess what?"_ he repeats impatiently as I rub at his cheek.

 _"What?"_ I ask, exasperated, pulling away.

"She'll let me come over to your place tomorrow! But only for the day, not overnight, because she has a shift to work and I have to take care of Natsu while she's gone."

Shouyou grins at me, looking absolutely ridiculous with toilet paper shoved up his nose. _My boyfriend._

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~


	16. In Love with an Angel

His beautiful, pink-cheeked face grins up at me, and I'm once again thankful for my father's glasses. When we're sitting across from eachother, our heights are a bit more even, but Shouyou's still a few inches shorter. His hair is ruffled from running up and down the hallway so much, similar to how it looks after a game.

And those _eyes_. I will never grow tired of those rich, brown eyes. Every cliche runs through my head because, while they're cliches, they're true, and I don't see any reason to change them. The brown of coffee, of chocolate, of pastries. The brown of seashells on the beach, of bark, of earth. They aren't blue, but I'm glad they aren't, because his draw me in and shake me to my core like an earthquake.

He's grinning his dumbass grin, with a slowly reddening tissue shoved up his nose, and his hair is flying all over the place, but if he isn't beautiful I don't know what is.

A jolt runs through me when he faces me, starting at my lips and ending at the base of my spine. I have to tear my gaze away for a minute, flushed dark, to keep myself from doing something. When I look back at Shouyou, he has goosebumps all over his arms, and he's biting his lip.

"Uh-" My voice is hoarse; I clear my throat. "Uh. Sorry, I... can you repeat that." It comes out more as a statement than a question.

"Um..." His eyes seem unfocused, like he's lost in his head. Then he blinks, looking away. "Yeah... Yeah! Uh, ma said I could come with you tomorrow, just for the day though. I have to take care of Natsu at night, since my mom's working a shift..."

"O-oh. Okay. I'll text Miwa, then," I reply, turning on my phone and typing out the message.

_Ding!_

'cool, I'll come pick you up at like. 7 or 8 tonight, unless you wanna eat dinner at home'

'I should eat at home. I don't want to bother Hinata's mother any more than I have to.'

'alright, then I'll come at like 4. sound good?'

'Yeah.'

'k, love u'

'Love you too.'

"She'll come at four," I say, turning off my phone and looking back up at Shouyou.

"Aw, okayy," he says, evidently playing some sort of phone game. His tongue is poking out; I smile faintly to myself.

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

The morning was fairly uneventful. We ate snacks, played a game on his console, and watched YaTube for a while. Before we knew it, it was 1 o'clock; lunch time.

Once again finding myself sitting on Shouyou's carpet, I look down at my fidgeting hands. I debate whether or not I should ask him. I weigh the pros and cons, and--

"'Yama, why are you making your angry face?"

I glare up at him for a moment before leaning backwards with a sigh. "Well... I was trying to figure out whether or not I should ask you..."

"Ask me what?" He swings his legs off his bed and sits, putting himself up with his hands behind himself. His bloody nose has long since stopped.

"Would... would you want to go out somewhere to get lunch?" My request suddenly sounds stupid. "You really don't have to, it's fine," I add, embarrassed.

"Sounds like fun!!" He exclaims, nearly falling off his bed. "Where?"

Blinking, I realize I didn't have a particular place in mind. "Um..."

Shouyou laughs. _An angel._ "Then how about the café a few blocks down?" He asks. "I've been there a couple times to get breakfast before school, but I usually don't leave early enough... If it's okay with you, I mean!"

I smile genuinely, even if it's a small one. "Okay."

He glances down at my lips, then away just as quickly. His ears are red. Quickly checking to make sure the door is shut, I rise and move to his bed. I kneel one knee on the bed beside him, and lean forward, combing my hands through his hair. In this position, I'm practically sitting in his lap.

"...Can I kiss you?" I ask, quietly. I peer into his gorgeous eyes, unable to help myself looking at his lips, as well.

  
He brings one hand up to my left that's buried in his orange hair and holds it. "Okay."

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

_Hinata's POV_

"Okay," I say after a moment. My hand cups Kageyama's, and my eyes flutter shut. His fingertips run against my scalp, making me shiver. He pulls away his other hand, and I hear the _click_ of him setting his glasses on my bedside table, before he buries his hand between my curls again.

I feel his lips on mine: gentle, soft, a pressure barely there, like he's nervous. I chase his mouth, moving mine against him. He inhales, and deepens the kiss, making a small sound in the back of his throat.

I adjust my hand so it's no longer cupping his, and thread our fingers together. Kageyama leans forward, pushing me down onto the bed. Our joined hands are pressed above my head.

I sigh into his mouth as his weight settles over me, knees caging me in around my thighs. His other arm is bent above my head as well, supporting himself. My legs dangle off the mattress.

We stay like this for a minute, breaths mingling and lips pressing into eachother. My heart pounds, and my stomach feels warm. Then, he breaks away with a small _pop!_ , breathing hard. He looks down at me with slightly unfocused eyes and tousled hair. I bring up my other hand and smooth it down, smiling.

He gazes down at me. "We should probably stop for now, if we're going to have any time to go to that café," he says after a moment. His voice is a few octaves lower than normal, and it makes my heart skip a beat.

"Yeah..." I sigh, leaning up to press one last kiss to his soft lips. He smiles against mine.

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~


	17. Sunbird Café

_Kageyama's POV_

I'm taking him to a café. I'm taking Hinata Shouyou, the Wings of the Fallen Crows, the new Small Giant, the Prince of the Court, my _boyfriend_ , to a café. A lunch date.

Every step we take on our walk down to said café makes my heart pound faster. My fingers twitch, so I clench and unclench them nervously. I keep looking over at Shouyou; I don't really know why. He's humming a different tune than usual, but it still suits him. It sounds of drums, of a heartbeat.

He catches my eye, and smiles at me, all crooked and shining and beautiful. My heart flutters. His eyes squint at the force of his grin, and I have to grab his arm to keep him from veering into the street. I switch sides with him inconspicuously, pushing up my glasses.

Though I try not to, the corner of my mouth quirks up. Shouyou laughs, poking at it. I shove his hand away, glaring, but I still can't keep from smiling. He laughs again, knocking his shoulder against me, gently. I look up at the sky: a slightly golden color. The faintest signs of sunset, but still hours to go.

The light glints off my glasses annoyingly.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

"That sounds like fun! Much better than staying indoors the whole day, for sure," Mrs. Hinata says with a grin. _She's so nice to me, to us... I wonder_ _what_ _my mother was like._ "I would normally send Natsu with you, but... you would probably enjoy it more if it were just two of you! I'll send her if you go another time, though, so be warned!"

"Of course, Mrs. Hinata, t-thanks." I bow my head slightly. _I'm getting better at_ _saying_ _it..._

I can hear Shouyou and his sister arguing about something, before it dissolves into loud laughter. I turn and watch them, smiling to myself. Shouyou has tackled Natsu to the floor, and they are engaged in a very boisterous tickle-fight. She yanks at his hair, and he, in turn, picks her up and spins her around in the air. A delighted shriek fills the air, before becoming laughter again.

"Some kids, huh?" Mrs. Hinata asks from behind me. I turn back, embarrassed; I'd forgotten she was there. I don't know how to respond. Luckily, she laughs. "You boys should get going soon, or you'll lose daylight! And didn't you say your sister was picking you up at four?"

"Yes, I'll get Sh- Hinata, and we'll be on our way."

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

"Kageyama, look!" I jump back into reality and look around, wide-eyed, expecting a car. Instead, I see Shouyou pointing to a building just ahead of us. I hum, and once we get close enough, I can read the sign:

"Sunbird Café"

_Fitting_ , I think to myself. I take a deep breath, and let him drag me in by the wrist.

The ringing of small bells alerts them to our entry. The employees stand behind the counter at the left: two at the registers, and a handful in the kitchen, or milling about at the tables. A couple dozen of said tables dot the area on the right, as well as a small bar that holds napkins, silverware, etc.

The place is very neutral-toned, with warm, golden accents. Soft music plays from a colorful speaker hanging from the ceiling, and cardboard cutouts boast different drinks and pastries. Small electric lanterns connected by a cord light up the windows with a red light. Overall, very open, inviting, and comfortable; the exact opposite of me.

I bite my lip and follow Shouyou again after he takes more photos ("For memories!"). He takes us to the glass cases, where we see foods of every shape, size, color, and flavor imaginable. The glowing signs above the counter list many drinks, but not too many to be overwhelming.

Having to push up my glasses every five minutes is annoying. How Tsukishima never seems to need to is beyond me.

I turn a bit pink as some of the customers and the servers turn to look at us. I try to ignore it, instead focusing on the food. One item in particular catches my eye: "Blueberry Yogurt-Crumble Tart"

I gesture at it, turning to Shouyou, who is hungrily eyeing a precariously tall slice of chocolate and strawberry cake. He looks over at what I've chosen, and grins.

"Looks like we've picked what we want!" He says, standing up to look at the signs. "Now, I'll pick you a drink, and you pick one for me!"

"I- What?"

He laughs again, clearly enjoying himself. He looks _gorgeous_ in this lighting, with these surroundings (I mean, he always does, but this place gives him an almost magical and golden aura). I fidget, turning pink.

His brown, knitted sweater blends right into the place. His jeans are worn, but picture-esquely so. His charcoal gray beanie and matching shoes complete the look. I feel as if I'm in the presence of a faerie, for some reason.

He looks back up at the sign, studying it intensely with a furrowed brow. I quietly pull out my phone, and take a picture or two of him. I can't help it. I know what he means, now, by it being "for memories".

I want to treasure these photos of him till the day I die, and take new ones all the time, and flip through them everytime I get sad or lonely, and remember it forever. _My memory always has been bad; maybe_ _I_ _should start photographing things_ _I_ _want to remember..._

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

"Here you are, sirs. Have a wonderful meal!" Shouyou grins at the woman, positively _glowing_ , and turns back to me. I wish I could slow down time so I could live in this moment for a long, long time.

"Well? Try the drink I picked out for you!" I blink, at look at my mug. I can't see anything past the tall mountain of whipped cream. He hands me a long wooden spoon, smiling, which I carefully dip into the drink. It's full of a thick, steamy liquid when I lift it back up, dark brown with a small cloud of whipped cream. The steam fogs up my glasses a little.

I look up at him anxiously, and drink it. _Whipped cream._ _Chocolate. Raspberry. Coffee._ My eyes fall shut as I absorb the flavors. It reminds me of fall and winter and long, gentle nights. I open my eyes again to see Shouyou quickly setting down his phone.

My heart flutters, and I laugh, quiet but genuine. "It's good. Really good." I point at his drink. "Your turn, boke."


	18. Resident of Nightmares

_Hinata's POV_

"Your turn. Boke," he adds. I grin at him, trying to sneakily put my phone away, but he sees it anyways and laughs a little.

_Kageyama's_ _laugh_ _is_ _such a_ _curious noise. He doesn't do it much, so it sounds crooked and nervous and short, but beautiful. It sounds like pure joy, unmasked and whole. I could listen to it forever..._

"Stop staring, dumbass," he tries to say sharply, but his face is flushed, and he pushes his glasses up awkwardly. I grin again, and look at the drink he picked out for me.

A simple wooden cup, filled with a mysteriously greenish tinged liquid. It looks thick, and is the cup is cold when I lift it. I use my spoon and, after taking a breath, shovel a huge heap into my mouth.

_COLD!_ I try to keep from spitting it out; I gradually become used to the chilliness as it melts, and I can pay attention to the flavors. _Mint!! One of my favorites! And... chocolate! And cinnamon! And nutmeg!_ It brings back memories of christmastime, of family, of joy. It makes my heart leap. I wiggle in my seat with happiness.

He laughs. Genuinely laughs, decently loud and strong, like the sound of birds or dogs or a powerful heartbeat or... his laugh. My breath hitches in my throat, and my heart pounds, turning my face pink. His laughter fades, but the happiness on his face does not, though he doesn't _really_ smile.

The lights reflect off his glasses like fireworks. His white shirt and black jeans, though simple, make me forget how to think. They hug his body, accentuate his figure.

"'Y-Yama..." I breath.

His gorgeous blue eyes lock with mine. "Shou..?"

My own eyes widen, and I look away quickly. "N-nothing! Nothing," I stammer. "Uh, the drink is really good. I love mint. And Christmas. I mean-- it reminds me of Christmas. Which I love. Christmas. I mean--"

"Iwa-cha~an, hurry! It'll get too crowded!"

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~  
 _Kageyama's POV_

A very, very familiar voice cuts off a flustered Shouyou. "Iwa-chan, hurry! It'll get too crowded!"

A stone settles in my stomach, and Shouyou's face goes pale. I swallow, then slowly turn towards the voice.

Oikawa Tooru. The Grand King. Aoba Johsai's captain and ace setter. My ultimate rival on and off the court. The resident of my nightmares.

Oikawa Tooru, leading Iwaizumi Hajime into the same café Hinata Shouyou and I, Kageyama Tobio, are sitting in.

~•°•°-------------------°•°•~

"Hey, Iwa-chan, wait for me, 'kay?" He asks, surrounded by girls hoping for an autograph. He's wearing a white hoodie and white sweatpants, reminiscent of his volleyball uniform. His own glasses shimmer perfectly.

Iwaizumi, on the other hand, is wearing ripped black jeans and a red sleeveless shirt. He sighs, rubbing his forehead, and slides past the girls to the counter, where he looks at the selection.

I clench my knees and grimace, trying not to be seen. Shouyou reaches for my hand under the table, and bites his lip.

"Let's talk to them."

"What?" I ask, bewildered and shooting a sharp look at him.

"Knowing them, we'll have to eventually... We can take our food to a park and finish it there, right? So we can just say hi and walk out the door!" He sounds certain, but I'm not as much as him. It doesn't sound like the worst plan, though.

"...Okay."

We gather our food in the takeout containers we luckily requested earlier, gather our wits as well, and stand. The girls have dispersed by now, and it's just the two of them whispering about what to eat. Shouyou leans over Oikawa, who is crouched in front of the glass, and drops a good handful of change into the tip jar.

Oikawa looks up, baffled. " _Hinata_! What a coincidence! What're are you doing here?" He stands, and so does Iwaizumi, moving beside him.

"Treating... Hinata here to a meal before I go home," I say in Shouyou's place, stepping somewhat between the two.

"Ah, Tobio-chan!" He smiles annoyingly. A bead of sweat slides down his forehead. "I didn't recognize you there with... your... glasses..." He sweats even more.

Iwaizumi, the almost neutral ground, pulls Oikawa backwards and stands between us, as well. He doesn't look intimidating, really, only slightly nervous and apologetic. Of course, his normal appearance and demeanor make him big and sharp, but today no more than any other day.

"We should go." He says.

"Iwa-cha~an!" We ignore Oikawa.

"Us, as well." I ignore my glasses digging uncomfortably into the bridge of my nose. _Honestly, how does anybody not lose their mind wearing these?_

"'Yama..--" We ignore Shouyou.

We nod at eachother and drag our respective teammates/partners away. Finally, we're out; I was beginning to feel a little claustrophobic. I slump, sighing in relief.

"You okay?" Shouyou asks, clutching our bag, worried. We cross the street, and I push up my glasses.

"Yeah..." I mumble. "I just have the feeling I'm going to have to talk to him again soon." He nods.

"Maybe. But let's not focus on that, right now. Let's go to the park, okay?" I nod this time, and let myself be lead after taking the bags from him.

He rambles about all the movies he's excited to watch, and all the shows he's prepared to be invested in, and everything in between. A few minutes later, we arrive: a small, grassy park with a swing set, side, and picnic table. We set our bags on the latter.

"Finally," he says. "I can eat my cake!"

For some reason, the words make me flush red. I ignore it, and sit across from him.

"Yeah..."

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~


	19. Blueberry Yogurt

He makes an almost astounding variety of humming noises as he eats his chocolate strawberry cake. I tried the bit he'd held out on his spoon, but found it a bit too sweet for my tastes. Or maybe it was the fact that I was being fed by Shouyou off his own spoon that was making me flustered. Either way, he inhaled it way too fast to be humanly possible.

My blueberry-yogurt-something-or-other was perfect. Absolutely perfect. Fruity and creamy and crumbly and refreshing and nostalgic and _perfect_. I may have exaggerated the exquisiteness of it because I was staring at Shouyou's beautiful smile while I ate it, but whatever.

The sky grew slowly and steadily more vibrant, and we were soon finished. Neither of us wanted to abandon this moment, though, and according to my watch, we still had about an hour before my sister came to pick me up. So, we simply sat and talked about various subjects that were, somehow, connected.

Shouyou is so _animated_ when he talks, it's almost comical. He gestures and waves and, every now and then, jumps. He makes up a new sound every other minute to scatter into whatever it is he's saying. His eyes sparkle and shine, and his lips look so... soft.

Once again, however, the moment was shattered.

"Iwa-chan, I'm stuffed! Carry me!"

"No."

"Awww, so mean~"

Oikawa and Iwaizumi round the corner into the park. _Too_ _many_ _coincidences..._ Seeing the setter that occupies my recent nightmares sends a shiver down my spine. I glare holes into our picnic table, fingers tapping anxiously on my knee.

"Aww, man, it's occupied! By..." Oikawa halts his chatter. The footsteps stop in the grass with a crunch.

"The Grand King!" Shouyou exclaims. I attempt to kick him from under the table.

Surprisingly, Oikawa laughs. "Still calling me that? Be careful now, you might make Tobio-chan jealous!" I look up at that, still glaring.

"Let's go, Trashy-kawa." Iwaizumi says, as Oikawa sticks his tongue out at me.

"Iwa-cha~an, don't call me such horrible things!" He whines.

"How's Loser-kawa, then?" His spiky hair ruffles a bit in the wind, as he looks at Oikawa with no expression.

"Even worse, meanie!" Nevertheless, he backs up, half-dragged by Iwaizumi. "Toodles~!" He calls after us.

 _It isn't like him to avoid a chance to hang_ _around_ _and bother us_ , I think. I voice this to Shouyou, whose jaw was hanging open. He snaps it shut.

"Yeah... Hey, Kagey--"

"Tobio." I interrupt, not looking at him. I push up my glasses and fidget.

"Tobio," he copies. "I like calling you that." I look up. He's smiling, not huge and obnoxiously, but small and gently. His brown eyes are full of warmth that makes my face heat.

"D-dumbass, what were you saying..." I mumble, looking away again.

"O-oh, right!" He talks quickly. "I was thinking we should talk to Oikawa. I mean, we did, but we should talk to him about, y'know... When he saw your glasses, he went all 'bWah' and panicked, right? And right before you noticed your blurry vision, you'd had a nightmare with Oikawa in it. I don't know if they're connected, but... we should talk to them anyway, right?"

"Boke, you can't just show up in people's dreams..." But I stand anyway, biting my lip. He grins, and tosses our trash away in the bin. Then, he grabs my arm and runs, dragging me after Oikawa and Iwaizumi.

I stumble for a second, and take off my glasses, stuffing them in my pocket. Then, I right myself, and speed past Shouyou without pulling out of his grasp. He yelps. In just a few moments, I spot the pair, and slow down.

He stops beside me, panting, and follows my gaze. They're walking seemingly nowhere, taking their time and talking. I squint, trying to see them clearly from this far away. We catch our breath, then make our way towards them. My expression sours more and more the closer we get, but I don't slow down.

Finally, Iwaizumi notices us, and yanks Oikawa to a stop. "Need something?" The former asks.

" _I'll do the talking_ ," Shouyou whispers at me, before facing them. I don't know how well this could turn out, but I'm grateful anyways. He bows. "We have something important to discuss, but we don't have much time." That's right: my watch says "3:46".

Oikawa interrupts. "Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but we don't "have much time", either. We have places to be! So if you could just talk to my secretary to schedule an appointment--"

Iwaizumi hits him over the head, causing him to groan and clutch his injury. "What he _means_ is, let's continue this later, when we have more time. Here's my phone number. Text me later this week or so, and we can sort out a time and place to talk."

He hands us slip of paper, bows, and grips Oikawa's hood. Oikawa whines and grumbles as usual, but follows obediently. Shouyou and I are left blinking on the side of the road. I look down at the string of numbers on the paper, back up at the vanishing forms, and back down again.

"Well... that was something." He says. I can't help but agree.

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

"Ma! We're back!" Shouyou shuts the door behind us with a bang, and enters the kitchen. I follow, mind spinning.

"Shouyou! Young Kageyama! Just in time!" Mrs. Hinata says, gesturing at the oven's clock: 4:00. All we can do now is wait.

I nod at Mrs. Hinata as we pass her on our way to her son's room. We collapse inside, barely suppressing exhausted laughs.

"What a _day_ ," he says, grinning.

"Yeah," I agree. I turn my head to look at him. "Y'know... my sister's always a few minutes late."

He locks eyes with me. His are all-knowing. "Okay," he grins, crawling towards me. We're in synch, as always.


	20. Back Home

"Tobio!"

I break away from Shouyou with a quiet gasp, looking at his door. _Miwa!_ I look back at him sorrowfully, and he presses a kiss on my soft lips before rolling off.

"Just a second, Miwa, I have to get my stuff!" I say, trying not to sound out of breath. I look in Shouyou's mirror and quickly try to fix my hair, as he shoves all my stuff into my bag. I turn, making sure he didn't miss anything, then take it from him.

"Wait, your glasses!" I shush him, unable to suppress a grin. He returns it, and his face resumes clarity as he gently places my glasses on my nose. He presses a kiss to my nose as well, laughing at the squeak I make.

I grumble (happily) and move to the door. Shouyou opens it with a mock bow, revealing Miwa on the other side.

"Hi, Miwa."

"Took you long enough, weirdo," she says, looking me up and down. My heart pounds, as if worried she could tell something was up. Shouyou rescues me.

"Miwa! Are you sure it's okay for me to come over tomorrow?!"

She turns her focus on him as we make our way down the hall. "Sure. I can come pick you up, just text me whenever tomorrow. No earlier than ten, though, 'cuz I wanna sleep in." Shouyou laughs.

"Tobio, it was wonderful having you here! You can come back whenever you'd like this week. Well, you're really always welcome!" Mrs. Hinata flashes her usual crooked grin, before saying goodbye to my sister.

I look at her son, who is blushing slightly. "What's up, boke?" I ask.

"'You're always welcome'."

"Oh. Yeah." I turn a little pink, too. "So are you." He turns bright red, and slaps my arm, laughing.

"What was that for!?"

"Tobio, let's go!" Miwa calls from the front door.

I look at Shouyou one last time, pushing up my glasses. "Bye... dumbass."

"Hey!"

"Bye, Shouyou's friend!" Natsu calls after me.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

"So..?"

"What?" I look at Miwa. She glances at me, before focusing on the road.

"Are you and your friend a thing?"

I splutter, choking on my spit and hitting my head on the car window. "W-what!"

She laughs. It's the first time I've heard her laugh since we saw our father. "I won't judge if you are. I can't, anyways. I'm currently fancying my boss's daughter; she's only a year younger than me."

"What!?"

"Is that the only word you can say?"

"No--!"

"Oh, so two words!"

"No, I-- You're a lesbian?" I stammer.

"Well... yes? I told you that." She glances at me again.

"No, you didn't." We're near our house.

"I swear I did. Didn't I?" She turns onto our driveway.

"No!" I exclaim.

"Oh. Well, there you go then," she says, parking the car. She turns to me, grinning a little. "So, what about you, then?"

"M-me?" I'm still reeling from this sudden news.

_How couldn't_ _I_ _have noticed? She's never dated a boy, that_ _I_ _can remember. She's never dated a girl, either, but... she did always talk about girls in her class. Did she know she was a lesbian then?_

Then my train of thought switched tracks. _If she's a lesbian, and she's asking about me, then... it should be safe to tell her, right? Right..?_

"Tobio," she says, snapping me back into reality. "You're overthinking again. I literally just said I wouldn't judge either of you."

"...Oh." I blink, and wipe off my glasses with my sleeve.

"You don't have to say, though, I don't mind," she continues. "Especially if you're not even sure yet."

I look down at my hands. My seatbelt's still on. "Well..." I swallow. "Shouuu-Hinata is my... boyfriend."

"Shouyou? You're already on first name basis?" She laughs again. "My little brother's getting more than me!"

I protest as she unbuckles and gets out of the car, forcing me to do the same. I follow her to the front door. "H-he asked me to! He doesn't call me 'Tobio'... very often..."

"How long have you been together?" She asks, smiling and pushing the door open.

"Uh." I pause for a second. "Since... Saturday? Saturday night?" 

"Since last night!?" She exclaims, nearly laughing _again_. It's nice to hear it so much. She hangs her bag on the rack by the door and slips off her shoes as she walks into the house.

"So what!?" I glare at her, taking off my shoes as well. I hang onto my backpack, though, meaning to toss it in my room.

"Nothing, nothing, you just made it sound like you've been together for months is all!"

"What- I-" I splutter again, coming back from my room. She's down the hall in the kitchen, setting plates on the counter. "Well we did go on a d-date earlier today..."

"A date! Already!" Miwa grins and playfully punches me between my shoulder blades. "My little brother~ Tell me how it went! I'll get you some muffins; I baked them yesterday."

I look down at my hands again. "Thanks..." The corners of my mouth twitch.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

"What, so you saw the kid you saw in your nightmares!?" Miwa exclaims around her muffin, covering her mouth.

I poke at mine. "Well, it isn't as weird as it sounds. I know him. Oikawa is my "ultimate rival" on the court. And his friend, Iwaizumi, is pretty good, too."

"I'm sure glad I quit volleyball," she sighs. "It seems like you make a lot of enemies. 'Don't think I'd be able to handle it."

"Yeah... but I've met some nice people, too. Like H-Hinata." I take a bite of my muffin. It's nearly gone, by now.

"That doesn't count, he's your teammate. And he's your boyfriend now!"

"Yeah, yeah..." I can't help but smile a little, though.

"Anyways," she says, swallowing the rest of hers. "That sounds like one hell of a date. Glad you both enjoyed it anyways, though. You get any pictures?" She wiggles her eyebrows at me.

I glare at her again. "Yeah, actually, I did!" I pull out my phone and show her, too caught up in my pride to really think about it.

Miwa blinks at the photo. My ears tingle. She looks back up at me. "You really are in love, aren't you?"

"I- _What_!?" I put my phone away, but make a mental note as I readjust my glasses for the _billionth time_ to set the photo as my background.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~


	21. Texting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus chapter!  
> Please forgive me!
> 
> Here's a link to this story on Wattpad:  
> https://my.w.tt/McQbkDvI39  
> It isn't edited like the version I post on here is, but it's virtually the same. Anyways, if you go to "Texting (Bonus: Part 20.5)", you can find this chapter, but with the emotes I made! Check it out if you've got the chance!^^

My volleyball flies into the air, nearly touching the ceiling. Up into the air, and back down. Up, down. Up, down. I toss it up one last time, before catching it with a satisfying _smack_. I turn to my alarm clock: 9:57.

Sighing, I rest the ball by my pillow, and unplug my phone. _No new messages. I'd told him to text... He's probably busy._ I set it down again. Almost immediately, my phone buzzes. I quickly reach for it, holding my breath.

_One new message._ Tap. _From: Shou._ Tap.

_Shou: ''Yama! are you awake?'_

I let the tiniest smile show as his name flashes across my screen. My fingers hover above the keyboard for a second.

_Me: 'Yes.'_

_Shou: 'such dry texts as usual~'_

I snort.

_Me: 'Dumbass.'_

_Shou: '!hey! rude!'_

'aNyways, how are you??'

_Me: 'I'm fine.'_  
' _...I miss you.'_

I smack my forehead. _Stupid! Why would_ _I_ _say that!? I've been gone for five hours! And I'll see him tomorrow! And--_

_Shou: 'awwh, i miss you too!'_

_Me: 'Oh.'_

My face reddens.

 _Shou: 'hehe~'_  
' _hey, what did you set my name as in your phone?'_

_Me: 'Why?'_

_Shou: 'just wondering~'_

_Me: '...'_  
' _'Shou'.'_

 _Shou:_ ' _oh, well, uh, ahh okay-'_

_Me: '...What am *I* set as in your phone?'_

_Shou: '...'_  
' _'YamaYama''_

My face reddens even more.

 _Me: 'Really?'_  
' _That's... really 'cute'.'_

_Shou: 'shut up!!'_

_Me: 'Boke.'_  
' _When are you going to bed?'_

_Shou: 'NEVER'_

_Me: '...'_

_Shou: 'idk, probably... how is it 1040 already!?'_

_Me: 'Oh. I don't know.'_

_Shou: 'well then soon,_ _i_ _guess. like right now...'_

_Me: 'Oh, okay.'_

_Shou:_ ' _well... see you tomorrow!! goodnight~'_

_Me: 'Yeah, goodnight.'_

I sit in bed for a few minutes, staring up at my ceiling. Then a grin spreads across my face, and I cover it with my sleeve.

~•°•°------------------------°•°•~

_Hinata's POV_

_Me: 'well... see you tomorrow!! goodnight~'_

_YamaYama: 'Yeah, goodnight."_

I plug my phone in, and lay back. Then I thrash around on my bed, squealing and covering my face with my hands.

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~


	22. Yellow Morning

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Kageyama's POV_

_A massive, golden castle rises up in front of me,_ _shaking_ _the ground. Spires and towers_ _and_ _walls and hundreds of soldiers dot the grounds around the main castle. A large, wooden gate_ _lowers_ _above the moat by thick chains. As_ _soon_ _as it's fully open, I'm_ _propelled_ _inwards by an invisible wind. Before_ _I_ _know_ _it, I'm_ _kneeling_ _in front of the throne again._

_"Rise, my king." The voice from the throne says._ Why is the king calling me 'king'? _"Rise."_

_I stand and face him._

_He_ _is_ _my father._

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

I sit up with a groan, rubbing the crust from my eyes. I scrabble for my glasses, and let out a sigh of relief as the world becomes clear again. _This_ _dream_ _was different..._ Shaking my head, I check the time on my phone: 6:20 AM. _I haven't been going on my morning runs._

While I get up and get dressed, I think of my dream, and my father. ' _If you wish, I will live with and take care of you and your sister,_ ' he'd said. I don't remember much about him, or about having a father, really. It's always been Miwa and my grandmother, who now has flowers placed on her grave every year on her birthday.

_It would be nice to have a father... Right?_

In ten minutes, I'm slipping out the door, all thoughts of my father melting away. My breath puffs into the chilly morning air. I stuff my earphones in and stretch before beginning my run.

"Sunshine", my playlist is called. They're songs that remind me of Shouyou. I don't know what I'd do if he found out about it. Probably kill him.

The first song that plays is a Western one: "Yellow", by Coldplay. I can't understand most of the lyrics, but I hear 'yellow' said over and over. The tune reminds me of the one Shouyou hums often.

' _Look at the stars_  
 _Look how they shine for you_  
 _And everything you do_  
 _Yeah, they were all yellow_ '

As the music plays, I jog past people walking their dogs, cars driving to work, and the rising sun. The clouds shimmer, just like the rivers and streams I cross. I pause for a moment to take a gulp of water and pocket a strange looking pebble.

' _I came along_  
 _I wrote a song for you_  
 _And all the things you do_  
 _And it was called, "Yellow"_  
 _So then I took my turn_  
 _Oh, what a thing to have done_  
 _And it was all yellow_ '

It feels odd to be out here, as if I'd grown too comfortable indoors. But it doesn't feel _bad_ odd. It's more like... I'm experiencing everything for the first time again. It's an exhilarating feeling; like I've been reborn. I push up my glasses, which were beginning to slip from my sweat.

' _Your skin_  
 _Oh yeah, your skin and bones_  
 _Turn into something beautiful_  
 _You know_  
 _You know I love you so_  
 _You know I love you so_ '

I recognize the word for 'love', and my ears turn pink. ... _Do_ _I_ _love Shouyou_?

' _I swam across_  
 _I jumped across for you_  
 _Oh, what a thing to do_  
 _'Cause you were all yellow_  
 _I drew a line_  
 _I drew a line for you_  
 _Oh, what a thing to do_  
 _And it was all yellow_ '

_Of course_ _I_ _do. I'd do anything for him._ My blush deepens, and I take another gulp of water. I reach the middle point in my jog, and slowly begin the loop back home.

' _Your skin_  
 _Oh yeah, your skin and bones_  
 _Turn into something beautiful_  
 _And you know_  
 _For you I'd bleed myself dry_  
 _For you I'd bleed myself dry_ '

I doubt there's much I wouldn't do for him. I promised him I'd never abandon him. I... I need him, just as much as he needs me. He is what makes my arrows fly. He is my angel, my wings, my prince of the court.

' _It's true_  
 _Look how they shine for you_  
 _Look how they shine for you_  
 _Look how they shine for_  
 _Look how they shine for you_  
 _Look how they shine for you_  
 _Look how they shine_ '

It always comes back to volleyball. But he's more than just my rival, or even my teammate. He always has been more. A crow squawks at me as I pass it, but doesn't fly away. I'm nearly back home, now. Sweat drips down my neck, and my legs burn. I missed this feeling.

' _Look at the stars_  
 _Look how they shine for you_  
 _And all the things that you do_ '

I stop, breathing hard, and unlock the door. _I love my boyfriend. I love Hinata Shouyou._

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Hinata's POV_

I wake up thinking about Kageyama. I eat breakfast, brush my teeth, and get dressed thinking of Kageyama. I turn on the portable radio in my room and listen to the static as I turn the knob... thinking of Kageyama.

And when I hear the song, I think of Kageyama.

I think of his bright blue eyes, seemingly always calculating and lost in his own world of prediction. I think of his small smile that he so rarely gives. I think of his strong hands, rough and calloused, but so gentle when they touch me.

I think of Kageyama, my boyfriend. My boyfriend!

The morning wears on, new and beautiful. Has the sky always been that color? My mind is full of him, his lips, his low voice, his gentle hands, when my phone buzzes.

_One new message._ My heart pounds as I tap the screen.

_From: YamaYama._ Eyes widening and stomach fluttering, I tap again.

_YamaYama: 'Come over?_ '

~•°•°------------------------°•°•~


	23. Sweatshirt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Check out the link in the last chapter's summary for the version with emotes!

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Kageyama's POV_

"Tobio, it's twelve. Do you want your _boyfriend_ to come over now?~"

"I-" I choke on my glass of milk. "I thought you wouldn't want him to, since we're dating?" It came out more like a question.

Miwa grins from across the kitchen table. "He seems like a good kid, so I don't care. And it isn't like he's staying overnight, hm?" She wiggles her eyebrows at me.

A blush creeps down my neck. "I- I have no idea what you mean." I pull out my phone to text Shouyou, regardless.

She gives a short laugh. "Make sure to ask him who's bringing him here!"

_Me: 'Come over?'_

_Shou: '...'_   
_'okay!'_

_Me: 'Okay.'_   
_'Who is going to bring you to my house?'_

_Shou: 'uhhhhmmmmm'_   
_'uhhhhhhhmmmmmmmm'_   
_'ma says she will, because your big sister's been driving us everywhere and it's my ma's turn!'_

_Me: 'Okay.'_   
_'...'_   
_'See you soon, Shouyou.'_

_Shou: 'you too, Tobio~'_

My ears are pink and tingly. I set down my phone.

"Well?" Miwa asks.

"What." My voice is hoarse.

"Well, who's bringing him here?" She looks amused, her chin in her hands.

"Um. His mom." I take off my glasses and wipe them on my shirt. Replacing them, I clear my throat.

"Okay, then go on and clean your room and whatever till he gets here. Go on! I'll bake some more muffins or something for you two!" She stands up and shoos me out of the kitchen.

I huff and step into my bedroom. White walls and wooden floors, like most, a bed in the corner, a wardrobe in the other, a desk with a lamp, a hamper, and a very small bookshelf. I also have a chest of drawers at the foot of my bed full of random things, and a plastic bin under my bed full of blankets, pillows, and sheets.

The only real personality are the volleyball posters on the walls, the volleyball laying beside my pillow, and my bright blue alarm clock.

Simple, and nothing that needs cleaning. I empty my laundry hamper into the washing machine, and I'm done. The only thing out of place is my backpack that was thrown onto my bed. I unzip it to triple-check that I got everything of mine from Shouyou's house, but something unfamiliar spills out.

A sweatshirt.

I blink, and tug it all the way out. It's dark grey with a white cord drawstring knotted at the ends for a hood string. The only design on it is an iron-on patch of a volleyball the size of my palm, just over where his heart would be. The tag has been cut off, short enough that it wouldn't be itchy or noticeable. I furrow my brow. _Why is this in here?_

I consider texting Shou, then decide against it, opting for simply telling him when he gets here.

I bite my lip. After a moment, I bring it up to my face, and breath in. _Shouyou_. _It smells like Shouyou._ It smells like him, his bed, his soap, everything, like vanilla and oranges and something I can't describe other than rich and purely him. I breath in again, and let out a long sigh.

Blinking, I shake my head and set the hoodie carefully down on my bed. I finish looking through my bag and, satisfied, hang it in my wardrobe. I sit down again and lay the hoodie in my lap before pulling out my phone.

_One new message. From: Shou._

_Shou: 'yamaaa!'_

_Me: 'What.'_

_Shou: 'we're almost there!!'_  
 _'i feel nervous for_ _some_ _reason'_

  
_Me: 'Why?'_

_Shou: 'didnt i just say "for some reason"???_

_Me: 'Oh.'_   
_'...'_   
_'I have something to say.'_

_Shou: 'i can see your driveway! tell me when i get there, kay?'_

_Me: 'Okay.'_

I stand, setting the sweatshirt aside, and look out my window. Butterflies fill my stomach as I see the Hinata's car pull into the driveway.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

"'Yama!" Shouyou opens the door with a huge grin.

He's wearing a black and white striped t-shirt under jean overalls, along with a pair of black Converses. His smile is the most beautiful part, though. My mouth twitches, and I resist the urge to run my hands through his ridiculous hair or kiss his ridiculous face. Shouyou's mother and my big sister are right beside us, so it probably wouldn't be the best idea.

"Hi, dumbass." I fidget with my sleeve. "Come on."

I lead him to my room to let the other two talk for a bit in the kitchen. As soon as he passes through the doorway, he laughs.

"What!?" I glare at him.

"Eek! I-I don't know, I just shouldn't have been surprised that it was so... clean. Simple. Kinda empty?" He laughs again. It's as beautiful as it is annoying. I grip his head.

"Dumbass, you're just used to the mess of your room!"

"Hey!" He pouts at me, before leaning forward and pressing his lips to mine. It's more teeth than anything, though, because he's grinning too much.

I let out a breath and kiss him back after setting my glasses on my desk. Kissing Shouyou is such a strange and wonderful thing. It sends electricity through my veins, it makes my heart beat harder and stronger, and it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. But despite all the extra energy, it does the exact opposite of make me feel focused.

Heat pools and swirls through my stomach, like molten lava. My legs threaten to collapse, feeling like jelly and shaking slightly. My brain goes fuzzy and numb, and all I can focus on his our lips and where our bodies touch: our hands, our chests, everywhere.

When he pulls away, I gasp, chasing after him slightly. Only then do I realize my eyes had closed. I open them, trembling a little. Since we're so close, I can see Shouyou almost completely clearly. His arms are wrapped around my sides, and he's standing on his toes. But most important is his face.

He wears an expression of the pure bliss that I feel. His eyes are sleepy, hair roughed up, lips pink, face flushed, and breathing ragged. His eyes focus on mine after a second, and he gulps.


	24. So Are You

"Nice- nice to see you again," Shouyou says with a small smile. I can't suppress my short laugh. I run my fingers through his hair with a blissful sigh.

"Yeah, it is."

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

"What do you even _do_ in here, 'Yama!?" He groans, flopping backwards onto my bed. We'd said goodbye to his mother around half an hour ago; it's now 12:50. "It's so boring!"

"Uh." _I_ don't _actually do much. I struggle with homework,_ _scroll_ _on my phone, read volleyball magazines, go on jogs or to the gym, practice setting in the backyard..._ "Want to practice?"

"'Practice'?" Shouyou sits up, frowning at me.

I cough and adjust my glasses. I might want contacts instead at this rate. "Volleyball. Receiving, spiking, setting, serving... you need help at everything, really."

"Hey!" He exclaims, but follows me out the door anyways after I grab my volleyball.

Once in the backyard, with our shoes on, we stretch for a while. The wind blows through my hair, and makes my shirt flap, but I'm not cold. Twigs snap under my feet. As I stretch my arms, I look out at the roofs behind my fence. They're all nearly identical. A cat dashes along one, before disappearing behind a chimney.

"What do you want to do first?" I ask, finishing up.

"Our quick! Just to get into the groove of things," he adds with a sheepish grin.

"Okay."

We get into position. A net rises up in my mind, and I can tell he sees it, too. Well, the branches laid out in the grass help. I stand facing away from him by the 'net', and toss the ball into the air. As soon as it touches my fingertips again, Shouyou, from the back line, begins to run.

He dashes, calling out to me silently. _I'm here!_ He says. I adjust my stance as I guide the ball towards him with my fingertips, slicing it right through the air. My back arches, and my eyes watch him fly. Black wings stretch out behind him, holding him up in the air. He seems to stay fixed in that position, his arms readied.

Shouyou's eyes lock onto the volleyball, and...

It drops to the other side of him, unhit.

" _I forgot to hit it!_ " He cries, yanking on handfuls of his hair.

" _Dumbass, that's what volleyball_ is _!_ "

" _Aargh!_ I was too focused on..." He coughs. "Toss to me again!"

"But what were you focused on!? I can remove it from our court so--"

" _You can't remove your abs!_ "

I stand still. "My... abs?"

Shouyou looks like a gasping fish. "I-I mean! Um! I- I've got nothing. Yes, your abs. I was thinking about them. I saw them when you tossed the ball before setting it."

I turn bright red, and now it's my turn to have my jaw flapping. "I- What? Why... were you thinking about- that?"

He shifts his weight from foot to foot. Then, biting his lip, he goes and picks up the abandoned volleyball. "...I think it's hot..."

"Hot?" I pause. "There's a breeze. If you need water--"

"Not the weather, Stupid-yama! Your muscles!"

"My muscles," I repeat. My eyes glaze over. _What?_

"Yes, your muscles are hot! Now wipe that expression off your face!" He throws the volleyball at me, which I narrowly catch.

"I think..." I roll the ball in my hands, barely registering it. "I think. Your thighs are hot."

"My what?" Shouyou's eyes are enormous, and he's nearly as red as his hair is bright.

"I think the way you think about my... muscles... is the same way I think of your thighs. And hands. And face. And form. And laugh. And smile. And eyes. And--"

"Okay, okay, I get it! Stop being embarrassing!" He's covering his face with his hands. His ears are bright red.

I step over to him, faintly pink. "I really ha-- like you."

"I- _You just almost said hate!_ " He shouts, uncovering his face. He's grinning, though.

"I did not! I said I really like you!"

"I heard you!"

"It was just reflex!"

" _Why is your reflex to say you hate me!?_ "

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_Third Person_

Miwa watches them from the sliding screen back door, sipping coffee and grinning.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Hinata's POV_

After a couple hours of practice, shouting, and apology kisses, I flop backwards onto his bed again with a contented sigh.

"I'm glad we're still fighting like normal, 'YamaYama'," I tell him. He's sitting at his desk, flipping through a magazine. He says nothing, but the corner of his (soft) mouth twitches (adorably).

I check the time on his blue alarm clock: 2:56. I furrow my brow.

"C'mere." I look at Kageyama. He's looking at his hands, but his cheeks are dusted pink. His glasses are sitting on his desk.

"What?" I ask, rolling off his bed. It smelled like him. Once I'm at his desk, he scoots his chair back a little and, gulping, pats his lap. "...What?"

"S... sit."

"In... your lap?" I glance at his door: locked.

"Yeah."

A grin slowly spreads across my face. "You know," I start. "I think your thighs are really hot, too."

He lets out what sounds like a mixture between a squeak and a sigh. "Just _sit_. Other way," he adds, when I face his desk.

My eyes grow large, but I move one leg until I'm straddling him, my hands on his shoulders. I slowly sit, swallowing as our eyes meet. "...Hi."

"Hi." He answers, glancing away.

"You're really pretty," I say, gripping his upper arms. My ears burn. It's the truth.

Unable to turn any redder, he clears his throat and meets my eyes again. "So are you."

I smile. Not a huge grin, not mischievously. Just a smile, just for him. I press my lips to his, and he sighs contentedly into my mouth. I still have to arch my back a little to reach him. After a moment, we pull away, and I bury my face into his chest and wrap my arms around him.

"You're more than pretty," I say, closing my eyes. "You're like... gorgeous."

I hear his heartbeat quicken, and I smile again.

"So are you," he says. His chest rumbles as he talks. My eyelids are too heavy to open, so I don't. I hum, and let myself drift away.


	25. Somersault

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

For some reason, I dream about Kageyama's father.

_"My little Tobio," he says. "You know it was for your own good, don't you? Sending you to live with your grandmother."_

_They're standing in front of a house painted white. It looked a lot like my grandparents' house, but_ _I_ _knew it wasn't._

_Kageyama looks up at him. I know, though_ _I_ _don't know how, that he's supposed to be younger, but I can't picture it. "Yes, father," he says._

_Seasons pass._

_"It was for your own good. You must understand," Kageyama's father pleads._

_They're standing across from eachother in a kitchen. His father holds a pair of scissors. There's a large gash on the side of Kageyama's face._

_Kageyama looks at him. He twitches, and his eyes flicker with anger. "I understand."_

_Seasons pass._

_"...Your own good..." His father is kneeling on a rainy street._ _The_ _sky is dark. He's clutching_ _a_ _body._

_Kageyama, at his shoulder, says nothing. Tears drip silently_ _down_ _his face as he stares at the body. "Shouyou."_

"Shouyou."

I jerk awake; I'm sitting on something warm. I pry my eyes open, wiping away the dried tears. "'Yama..?" I say, groggily.

"You were crying in your sleep again. Are you okay?" He pushes my shoulders a little until I'm sitting back and looking at him.

There's a crease between his eyebrows. I reach out and poke at it, before letting my hand fall. His mouth twitches. "Sorry for falling asleep on you..." I mumble. Out of habit, I look down, but obviously my hands aren't in my lap. I quickly look back up again, flushed.

"It. Um. It's okay," he says, turning pink and adjusting his glasses. "But are you? Okay, I mean."

Still red, I look away. "Yeah, I... It was just a bad dream. I'm okay. I promise," I add, looking into his blue eyes.

"...Okay."

I smile, pulling off his glasses, and press a soft kiss to his frown. He makes a startled noise before returning it.

"Wait--" I pull away with a pop. Kageyama wears an expression of an abandoned dog; my heart twinges. "What time is it?"

  
He blinks and cranes his head over my left shoulder, peering at his alarm clock. I stick his glasses back on his nose, giggling.

"Four-thirty," he grins. Without warning, he spins his desk chair, and I nearly go flying.

"GWAH!" I clutch his shoulders, laughing. "'YAMA!"

He lets the chair slow down, and my head spins. We've now ended up in the middle of his overly plain room. I nearly fall, but his hands grip my hips. "O-oh!" I say, startled. My ears tingle, and my brain is still doing somersaults in my skull.

"Sorry, I..." He adjusts his grip, sliding his hands up my sides. The feeling sends a shiver down my spine, and my hair feels as if it's standing on end. My stomach grows warm.

"B-bakageyama." My voice hitches.

His blue eyes are dark. "Tobio," he corrects, low.

"Boys, help me make dinner!" His sister calls down the hall.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Kageyama's POV_

I leave the bathroom, still slightly pink, and head to the kitchen. As I put on my glasses, the two shapes at the counter refocus: Miwa and Shouyou, the latter of which is talking animatedly.

"Oh, K-Kag--" He chokes on his own spit in the middle of saying my name. "--'Yama!" He croaks with a sheepish grin.

"Dumbass, how are you supposed to cook when you're choking on your own spit!?" I hold back a short laugh, though, and sit on the stool beside him.

"Hey!" He says, flicking my arm.

"Boys," Miwa chides, setting a pan on the stove. "Help me make meat buns!"

"Meat buns! Really!?" Shouyou gasps.

"No. 'Tamago Kake Gohan.'"

"Egg over rice!!" He cheers, leaping off his stool.

"Help make it, or I'll eat all of yours." I say, standing.

"You _wouldn't_!"

"I would."

"Not!"

"Would!"

" _Boys!_ "

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

Nearly an hour later, three hot bowls of deliciously steamy rice topped with a golden egg yolk sit across from each of us. Within moments, much of it is gone. Shouyou seems torn between wolfing it down and savoring each bite.

"Thank you, Miwa!" He says, mouth full. I toss a napkin at his face.

"You helped too; thank yourself," she replies, but she shoots me a small smile. It looks knowing, but I have no idea what she means by it.

"I'm having seconds!"

"Don't become bloated, dumbass!"

"I won't, I swear!"

After a bit of bickering and another bowl each, we sit stuffed in front of the TV.

"What time is it?" Shouyou asks me with a yawn.

I sluggishly pull out my phone: 5:42. I tell him so.

"Okay," he says. "I'll probably have to go at around seven or eight..."

"Let's hang out in my room, then." I say. Miwa snorts from the other side of the couch, and I shoot her a glare.

Shouyou rises and follows me down the hall with a yawn. "I'm tired..."

"You slept all day." I sit on my bed anyways.

"Just for, like, an hour!"

"Whatever."

He sits beside me with a contented sigh. "I really like you."

My ears burn. "You already told me. I like you too. D-dumbass."


	26. Sudden and Unexpected

Shouyou grins sleepily at me. "You promise you like me back?" He asks.

I shift so I'm sitting cross-legged on the bed in front of him. I pause for a second, thinking hard. Then I lean forward and press a gentle kiss to his lips. _So soft..._ "I'm sure, dumbass. You don't need to worry. Just keep spiking my balls as always."

His face goes from embarrassed to maniacal by the time I finish speaking. "'Spiking your balls'?" He repeats, laughing loudly, seemingly forgetting about his sleepiness.

I lunge at him and grip his hair, glaring. My glasses threaten to slip off my nose. Shrieking in delight, Shouyou yanks at my shirt in an attempt to tickle me. Instead, he accidentally pulls my shirt up halfway. My face goes red as he looks, wide-eyed, at my stomach. I'm practically straddling him.

I spring away instinctively, heart pounding.

"'Yama, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" He says, sitting up anxiously.

"I-it's fine. It just startled me," I mumble. I look down at my hands, ears tingling. For some reason my eyes burn, too.

"'Yama!" Shouyou scoots forward to me and gently takes my hands in his. The gesture makes my head spin and my nerves feel like electricity; I look up into his searching eyes. "I'm sorry I accidentally pulled up your shirt and startled you. I'll be more careful next time, okay?"

"...Okay." Suddenly a tear slips out of my eye, leaving a burning trail. I quickly lift my hand out of his and wipe the tear away. "...I don't know why I'm crying..."

"Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?" He lifts a hand and runs it through my hair, and holds my hand in his other.

"I don't- I don't know," I stammer, pulling off my glasses and wiping away the burning trails with my free hand. "I feel fine, I think? I just-" I can't stop crying.

Shouyou hums, his eyebrows drawn together. Carefully, he climbs into my lap and wraps his arms around me. "It's okay, I'm here," he murmurs, running a hand through the hair at the back of my head. "I'm here."

I bury my face into his neck, both frustrated with myself for appearing weak and grateful for him for being there. My fingers twitch as I hug Shouyou tightly. He lets me dampen his shoulder silently, my only noise being to let out a shuddering breath every now and then.

My heart clenches, and my stomach feels like it's in knots. _Why am_ _I_ _crying? I'm fine! I'm with Shouyou, everything's okay. I'm okay. Why am_ _I_ _crying?_

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

  
Finally, eyes tired and dry, I lift my head.

"The last time I..." I can't even bring myself to say the word 'cried'. "Was when... I found out about my mother." He nods, not looking at me with pity, but with understanding. A wave of relief passes through me.

"Are you okay?" He asks, brushing hair out of my eyes.

"Just... everything. Seeing my dad again, hearing about my mother, my eyesight, the nightmares, Oikawa..."

"It built up?" He finishes.

"Yeah," I say.

He squeezes me tight again, until I can feel his heartbeat against my chest. "It's okay."

"Thank... th-thank you."

"Of course, boke."

My eyes, heavy, begin to close. Eventually, I succumb to the pull of exhaustion.

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

"Hey, 'Yama."

I pry my eyes open. _The_ _first_ _dreamless sleep I've_ _had_ _in so long..._

"'Yama?" I focus on Shouyou, who's face is very close to mine. I blink, leaning back. He's no longer in my lap, but my fingers are intertwined with his. "Kageyama!"

I jerk back into reality. "Sh-shou."

"Sorry for waking you up, but you slept for half an hour and I have to go in another half an hour, so..."

"Half... an hour?" I repeat. My words slur together.

"Yeah, so wake up!" He tugs at the lock of hair that falls between my eyes. I grumble and reach for my glasses, putting them on.

"This day went too fast. I want you to stay."

"Sorry, Kageyama, I can't. I have to watch Natsu all night. But tomorrow you'll be able to come over and stay the rest of the week!" He smiles at me, big and bright.

"...Okay."

~•°•°-------------------------°•°•~

"Bye! See you tomorrow!" Miwa calls from the front door. I stand beside her, hand lifted as a wave.

Half an hour after he'd woken me up, his mother had stopped at our house. He went with her, waving and saying goodbye. Now, I don't really know what to do.

"I'm going to go to bed early," I say once the Hinata's are gone.

"Hey, wait."

"What?" I turn back to Miwa.

"Are you sure you don't wanna watch a scary movie?" She asks. Horror is my favorite movie genre.

I pause. "...Okay."

The movie is full of clowns, caves, and blood. Popcorn sticks to my teeth, and I try to work it out with my tongue as my eyes remain focused on the screen.

Miwa seems to be confused about which genre the movie is. She laughs or grins at all the gory bits, and sighs at the suspenseful parts.

Then, our popcorn is all gone and the movie is over. Miwa stands, stretching, and turns the lights back on.

"That one's pretty good," I say. "I have go to go bed now, though."

"Aw, alright. Brush your teeth!"

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~


	27. Bus and Breakfast

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

Shouyou is clinging to my leg, his arms wrapped around my thigh while he sits on my foot. His sister, Natsu, sits the same, hands gripping tightly to my knee. I stand hopelessly in the livingroom, watching Mrs. Hinata's car drive away, abandoning me.

_How did_ _I_ _get in this mess in the_ _first_ _place?_

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

"Tobio, did you fall asleep on your phone again? It's time to get up!" My covers are yanked off of me, and I groan, curling inward.

Miwa shakes me by the shoulders. "Get _up_! I have to visit my friend and critique her band's latest song before work, and I have to drive you to your boyfriend's house!"

Lifting my head, I realize that I'd fallen asleep playing some phone game. I squint at Miwa's blurry figure until she drags me out of bed.

Five minutes later, I'm dressed in a white hoodie and black jeans, and have grabbed my bag that I packed the night before. I grab my glasses case, as well, and my volleyball and phone charger.

"Clothes, toiletries, pillow, movies, the loaf I baked for the Hinatas... you're _sure_ you have everything? Because I won't be able to bring you anything else 'till tomorrow!"

"I'm sure, I'm sure, I'll be fine!" I grab a granola bar to eat on the way there, instead of breakfast.

"Okay, if you're sure," she says, and locks the front door behind us.

"Hey, Frosting," I murmur to our cat. She's a white shorthair that we keep outside to eat mice. She trots over to me, and I rub behind her ears. She's the only animal I think likes me.

"Very touching, but come on!" Miwa says from the car, impatiently.

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

"Enjoy the bread, Mrs. Hinata, and thank you again for having Tobio over! Call me if you need any help with anything, alright? I get off work at four!"

"Thank you, dear! Oh, it's no trouble at all, and I'll keep that in mind. I'll see you at the end of the week!"

Mrs. Hinata waves at Miwa from the front door, then turns and shuts it behind her. "Tobio, it's so nice to have you back again! You two get along so well, and it's nice to have a helping hand around here!" She laughs. She's the definition of joy, if Shouyou isn't already. Or Natsu.

"Thank you for having me again," I say, bowing my head.

I push my glasses back up when I straighten, and adjust my bag. Mrs. Hinata grins at me, then turns back to Natsu's half painted nails. Shouyou stands at my side, practically vibrating in excitement. I turn to him.

"Have I ever told you that you remind me of a dog?"

He seems to stop in his tracks. "What- A _dog!?_ " He looks at me incredulously, head slightly tilted. I can't tell if he's doing it on purpose.

"Yeah. You kick in your sleep, drool a lot, go after every ball you see, and you're excited whenever I step through the door. Also your laugh sounds like a bark."

Mrs. Hinata laughs suddenly and loudly; I jump, having forgotten she was there. "You're definitely perceptive and straightforward, aren't you?" She laughs. Natsu giggles, as well.

My face turns pink, and I readjust my bag again, awkwardly. "Ah, I didn't mean..."

Shouyou pokes my arm, grinning. His orange hair goes strangely well with his autumn-colored flannel and grey jeans. "Come on, you can bring your stuff to my room!"

His bedroom is exactly the same as the last time I'd come over, though a bit cleaner. His bed's in the far corner, his desk to its left, and his closet door on the right wall. Posters and merchandise cover the walls and flat surfaces, and a few more magazines have been added to the collection under his bed, beside his volleyball.

I set my bag down by the board at the foot of his bed. As soon as I've straightened and turned towards Shouyou, his mouth comes crashing into mine, not even bothering to pull off my glasses. Tilting my head, I keep them from digging into him as I smile into his mouth. Finally, he pulls away, breathing hard.

His arms are wrapped around me, hands at the small of my back, making me shiver. The now-familiar electricity buzzes through me, alighting my senses with warmth.

"Hi," he whispers softly.His gorgeous eyes blink up at mine, and slowly crinkle as he smiles. "I missed you."

"So did I-I, dumbass," I say, glancing away, embarrassed. I still haven't gotten used to his random gestures of affection... but they definitely aren't unwelcome.

"'Yama..."

"What?"

"You haven't kept your promise yet!"

"Which promise?"

"The one that you made to Natsu on Saturday. That you'd look at her drawing when you could see clearly."

"Oh," I reply. To be honest, I'd forgotten I had promised that, what with everything that'd happened. "Let me go, and I'll keep my promise."

Shouyou lets go of me with a small "hmph!", and follows me down the hall to the livingroom. Mrs. Hinata isn't there, but Natsu is so on the couch, watching TV and waiting for her nails to dry.

"Natsu," I begin, then pause. "Natsu, where's that drawing you showed me the other day? I did promise I'd look at it when my vision was clear, right?"

"Oh, New Friend!! It's in my room, hold on!" The blur of orange dashes down the hall. Shouyou looks at me and snickers, so I yank at his hair. "Mister Friend, here!! Is it good? Do you like it?"

Natsu, having returned, holds up a piece of paper, carefully preserving her nails. The drawing shows a mermaid sitting on a shell full of what appear to be pearls. Fish of every shape, color, and size surround the subject, who is highlighter yellow. Though a child's drawing, it is most likely much better than I could do.

"Natsu, I have to be honest with you..." She looks at me, nervous and confused. "It's absolutely perfect!"

She laughs, clapping giddily. "Thank you!! I'll be sure to draw more just for you!!"

"That would be my honor," I say, bowing my head to her.

She claps again, hopping from foot to foot. Then, "Thank you, Mr. Bus!"

"Bus?" I ask. She says nothing, only laughs as she latches onto my leg. Shouyou looks at her, then back up at me. _Don't!_ I think. Of course, he can't hear me, and joins his sister on my other leg with a ridiculous grin.

"Bus-Yama!"


	28. Popsicles

With Shouyou's mother gone to the store, I am left alone. Alone with two Hinata children clinging to my legs, one of which's hands are gripping my thigh and making me more nervous by the minute.

"Uh." I look down at the two staring up at me. "Hi?"

Natsu grins. "Drive! Mister Bus Man!"

Shouyou says nothing, but his sneaky smile makes up for it. I sigh, and attempt to lift up the leg carrying Natsu. After some struggling, I succeed in taking a step while Natsu giggles gleefully. Then comes the leg carrying Shouyou: my left leg. It takes a significant more amount of strength to take another step.

Slowly, I make my way into the closest room: the kitchen. Hopefully Natsu will be distracted with snacks, or the loaf of bread Miwa brought. Natsu has been laughing and cheering me on the whole way. Finally, I make it in, breathing hard and fogging up my glasses. I take them off for a moment to wipe them, then replace them and look back down at my passengers.

Natsu laughs, eyes twinkling and orange hair bouncing, and points at the fridge. I let out a breath and struggle towards it before opening it and looking inside.

"What do you want?" I ask, looking at them both.

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

Soon, we're all sitting on the kitchen floor eating popsicles of various fruity flavors and vivid colors. The cold tile floor seeps into my legs, chilling me to my bones, but I gradually become used to it.

Every now and then, my eyes drift from the volleyball match on my phone to Shouyou sitting across from me, but I regret it every time. He catches the blue drips with his tongue, and licks stripes up the sides.

I quickly look away each time, red faced, though he surely notices. I accidentally hit the frame of my glasses with my popsicle instead of my mouth one of these times, and let out a noise of disgust. Natsu laughs, and Shouyou's mouth curves into a smile. _I feel as if I'm surrounded by sunlight_.

I hear a rumbling coming from outside. I stand, being careful not to let red droplets fall to the floor. "It's your mother," I say. "She's back from the store already."

"So soon?" Shouyou asks, standing. He doesn't manage to keep the popsicle from dripping. I kneel back down and quickly wipe it up with the paper towel lying on the floor.

"I'm home! It didn't take as long as I'd thought!" I finish wiping it up and slide over to the trash can before standing and nodding at her. Natsu hops up and grins, face covered in sticky bright green popsicle juice.

"Well, it looks like you had a grand old time, didn't you?" Mrs. Hinata laughs. I rush over to relieve her of a few grocery bags, and set them on the counter. Shouyou digs through them, and Natsu wanders down the hall.

"I'm sorry, I didn't ask before taking the popsicles," I say to their mother.

"Oh, it's alright! I need to make room in the freezer, anyways." She smiles at me. I nod, and continue helping with the groceries.

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

"'Yama, look!" Shouyou exclaims from the bathroom.

Bewildered, I look in around the doorframe. His tongue is sticking out, and is coated bright blue. I open my mouth as well and step in, looking in the mirror. Mine is bright red.

"Wanna see if we can make purple?"

My face floods with color. "I- Uh- What?"

Shouyou grins, stepping closer and pushing the door shut behind me. I stand against the door as he looks up at me. His hand comes up, tracing my jaw with his fingertips, before leaning up.

"Can I kiss you?" He whispers.

"Okay," I reply under my breath. For him not to now would be torture.

His soft lips brush against mine as he leans up more, his knee sliding behind mine.

"Boys, I need your help in here," Mrs. Hinata calls.

Shouyou jumps back, startled, and I whack my head on the door. Groaning, I rub at it, and look up at him. Seeing his anxious look, I reach out and kiss him for a moment, my hand on the back of his neck. Then I straighten with a small smile. He returns the smile with his own grateful one, eyes bright.

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

"How long before it's done?" Shouyou asks. We're both crouched in front of the oven, watching the pan inside.

"In about an hour," Mrs. Hinata replies from behind us. She's at the counter replacing the frame on a photo that is hung at the entrance. The photo is of Natsu on her first day of school, smiling wide and toothily.

I stand with a yawn, stretching, suddenly exhausted.

"Tired?" Shouyou asks, looking up at me.

I can't say anything through another yawn. He laughs, and rises to his feet.

"I'm gonna go set up Kageyama's futon in my room, okay ma?"

"Alright, but dinner's in an hour!"

"I know, I know," he calls, leading me down the hall. Once we make it to his room, he looks at me, faintly pink. "So... do you actually want the futon?"

I blink at him, and he gestures to his bed, shifting on his feet. "Oh! Uh. Well. Sure. I mean, yeah, I don't need a... you know what I'm trying to say, dumbass." I stumble over my words as his grin widens.


	29. Detectives in Trenchcoats

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

"Hey, Shou?" I start. I'm sitting on the floor, back against his bed. Shouyou is sitting in front of me, laying back against my stomach, playing a phone game. I twirl my fingers through his hair.

"Yeah?"

"You know the other night, when we came back here from my dad's place."

"Yeah, what about it?" He pauses his game, craning his neck to look up at me.

"You had started to say something about that day, but never finished because you fell asleep in the middle of your sentence. Do you remember what it was?" I carefully disentangle my hand to push up my glasses.

His face turns pink, and he covers it with his hands. "I... was probably going to talk about those suit things we were given in the Wardrobe."

"Oh..?" I remember what he'd looked like. _Beautiful_. I wish my vision had been clearer, or that I'd gotten a photo.

"I remember thinking that you were really hot," he says, flipping over and climbing into my lap with a small smile. His cheeks are dusted pink, and his hair is tousled from my hands. His phone lies abandoned beside us on the floor.

"Me too," I reply, gently tracing his jaw with one hand and pulling off my glasses with the other.

He turns a shade darker, and leans up, pressing a kiss to my forehead. The simple gesture brings tears to my eyes. He places gentle kisses on my cheeks, my nose, my jaw, and finally my lips. A long, soft, gentle kiss.

Then he pulls away with another of his small smiles, and takes one of my hands into his. Bringing it up to his lips, he looks up into my eyes. He kisses each of my fingertips, then the back of my hand. My face grows steadily hotter throughout this whole moment.

I whisper, nervous to accidentally shatter it. "I really, really like you."

He lets out a squeak and buries his face in my neck. I let out a quiet laugh, and comb through his hair again.

"I really, really like you too, 'Yama."

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

Shouyou kicks my foot, making me cough on my rice. I glare at him. He tries to kick me again, but ends up getting the couch leg instead. I kick his foot in response. The next five minutes are filled with intense foot and furniture kicking.

"What're you _doing?_ " A small voice says. We both turn to the source, and see Natsu standing in front of us, between us and the TV. She looks utterly baffled, her arms crossed, feet planted slightly apart, head cocked. I choke on my rice again.

When Shouyou speaks, his voice has changed slightly. "Now, Natsu, you know you're not allowed here on the scene of the crime. The detectives here... they don't trust you. You could tamper with evidence." His words roll off his tongue, and I can almost see a trenchcoat hanging from his shoulders, sweeping the floor as he stands.

Natsu, in a wh _ite trenchcoat with a drawn waist, glares up at him. "Just because I'm younger than you, Shouyou, doesn't mean you can tell me what to do. You and all the other 'detectives' know I'm better at it. So why waste your time?"_

_Rain slicks back Shouyou's hair in the nighttime darkness. Muddy gravel crunches under his feet as he bites his lip nervously. Yellow police tape separate the two, attached to plastic posts. He hesitates, then lifts it with a sigh, letting Natsu in._

_"If_ _I_ _get fired, it's on you," he says, walking beside Natsu to the rest of the detectives and reporters. They huddle around the body and the vicinity, shining flashlights and measuring footprints and bagging and tagging evidence and everything else you could imagine._

_Kageyama looks up from where he's crouched beside the body. Seeing the two, he rises and tugs_ _off_ _his plastic gloves. "Hinata's," he nods. His hair drips between his calculating blue eyes._

_"Evening, Kageyama." Shouyou nods in response._

_"Cut to the chase, boys," Natsu calls_ _from_ _where she's crouched. Her gloved hands wander all over the body. "What have you gathered?"_

_"Male, 23," Kageyama begins instantly, not even bothering to check his notepad. Shouyou pulls his out anyways and copies his words down, careful not to get it wet in the rain. "His name was Iwaizumi Hajime. Phone number is (xxx)-xxx-xxxx. Worked at_ _the_ _Sunbird Inn and Pub a_ _couple_ _towns away. We're searching_ _for_ _his home as we speak,_ _as_ _well as friends and relatives."_

_"...I_ _knew_ _him," Shouyou says after a pause. The other two look at him suspiciously. "Well, a little. I went to the Sunbird a few times; stood out with my hair. So we'd chat._ _Mostly_ _about his fiancé."_

_"Fiancé? Who? Do we know her?" Kageyama asks. He dries off_ _his_ _glasses impatiently._

_"Him," Shouyou corrects. The other two look taken aback. "His fiancé was Oikawa Tooru."_

_"Kageyama!"_

"Kageyama!"

I jerk, returning to the present. "Sorry, I- What?"

Shouyou blinks at me from the other side of the couch. "You were just in your own world, weren't you?"

I look around; the livingroom. Natsu is sitting at the coffee table in front of us with a sheet of paper, holding a colored pencil. She's looking at me with mild concern.

"Um." I wipe my glasses. "Sorry."

Shouyou bursts out laughing. "Sometimes I wonder what you're thinking, 'Yama, but honestly I don't think I could ever guess."

I let out a breath, fidgeting with my glasses cloth in my hands. I mumble something that Shouyou doesn't catch.

"What?" he asks.

"I said we were all detectives!"


	30. Stable Warmth

"...Detectives?"

I quickly recount my daydream. When I'm done, he stares at me. Then he starts laughing, actually falling off of the couch.

"Wh- _Dumbass!_ " I exclaim, looking over the edge. He's laying on the carpet, _howling_ and clutching his stomach. "S-stop laughing! Shut up! Dumbass! Boke!"

"Y-you daydreamed- that Iwaizumi was the grand king's- fiance!?"

"I don't know, I didn't control it or anything! And those two are always together, anyways..." I trail off, unheard over Shouyou's never ending laughter.

I sit watching him, furrowing my brow and trying to no avail to keep from smiling-- but just a little! Finally, though, he calms down, taking deep breaths littered with giggles. He wipes away a tear, and sits up, dizzily.

"Are you done?" I ask, chin on my hands. I try to glare, but find that I cannot. Instead, my eyebrows twitch.

Shouyou snickers, then regains his composure again. He lets out a breath, and opens his eyes. "Yeah... yeah, I'm done. Sorry. Yeah."

I sigh, readjusting my glasses. The TV in front of me shows the cartoon Shouyou is obsessed with, though it's muted. Natsu is back by the bookshelf with her drawing supplies. Mrs. Hinata bustles around the house, humming to herself.

"Anyways," I begin, refocusing. "Talking about those two reminded me that we have to meet up with them sometime this week. Today is Tuesday. Tomorrow will be Wednesday. I also... have a couple places I need us to go to, but I'd like to get the meeting with the two over with soon. So... tomorrow?"

"...What? Sorry, I got lost around when you said 'meet up with'..." It looks like Shouyou had just been in his head.

I sigh again. "We're meeting up with Iwaizumi and Oikawa tomorrow."

He grins at me, flopping back down onto the carpet. "Okay," he says.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

I sit on Shouyou's bed, waiting for him to get out of the bathroom so I can ask him where his favorite places are. I guess I really liked going to the café with him, and... I want to do things like that more often. After we meet up with Iwaizumi and Oikawa, of course.

I look at the list of places I've already written down on my phone:

•Aquarium  
•Movie theater  
•Xxxxxx restaurant?

Short and vague. _I'm hopeless at this..._

"Hey, 'Yama, you can have the bathroom now if you need it."

"I already brushed my teeth, I'm--" I look up at Shouyou.

He's wearing a large black hoodie that goes down to his thighs, the sleeves rolled up a little so his hands are free. The smallest hint of shorts stick out from under it, if I look closely. His hair is ruffled, and his eyes are sleepy. My heart leaps and my stomach flutters as my ears begin to burn.

"'Kay, then," he says, oblivious. He shuts his door and turns out the light. My phone, his nightlight, and the street lamps outside are the only sources of light. He carefully pads over to me, trying not to trip.

Once he's close enough, I tuck away my phone and reach out for him. My hands brush his stomach. I can feel the muscles there twitch under my touch, and the thought fills me with warmth.

"Y-you look... good." I whisper hoarsely.

He lets out a squeak and pulls off my glasses, settings them on the desk. Then, he pulls us down until we're lying side by side, facing eachother. "Thank you," he smiles.

"Oh, your sweatshirt reminded me... Yesterday, when you came over, I'd texted you that I'd had something to say." I trace patterns on the back of his hand. "I was gonna say that I'd found your sweatshirt in my backpack?"

"Oh! I completely forgot about that..." He says with a small laugh. He leans down and grabs the edge of the blankets, pulling them over us.

I blink. "Why... why'd you put it there?"

"Well... I don't know. Boyfriends usually share their hoodies, right..? Plus, that one had a volleyball on it, so I thought you'd like it!"

The corner of my mouth twitches, but my mind is still stuck on 'boyfriends'. It still makes me flustered, the thought of us being together.

"Yeah, I- I do. It smells like you," I say.

Shouyou's blush darkens, and he giggles nervously. I reach out to him, pulling at his hood. He shivers. I lean forward, kissing the faint freckles on his cheeks, his nose, his forehead. I marvel at the pink on his skin, slowly dusting down his neck. I tug at his hood again, trying to see the blush on his chest.

He squeaks again, covering his face with his hands. I blink, and lean up to kiss his mouth. Our legs tangle together, one knee between his, and our arms wrap around each other. His bare legs against mine make me feel connected, somehow.

The touch makes a fire start in my stomach, my chest, and I feel more at home than I ever have. I don't know how to voice this, so instead I run my fingers through his hair and kiss him deeper.

Shouyou breaks away after a moment with a small gasp. He pushes gently at my shoulder until I lay down on my back, disentangling myself from him. Once I do, he hoists himself up with a grunt and settles over me.

"How are you so light?" I say quietly as he lays on my chest. His arms snake under my shoulders like a hug, his fingers tracing patterns between my shoulder blades. His legs straddle my stomach.

Shouyou grins at me. "Why are you so _heavy_?" He whispers.

"I'm not, I'm just taller than you," I whisper back with a small smile, reaching up and poking his head.

He mock gasps, and pulls his hands out from under my back to bat at my hand.

"Hand me my phone," I suddenly say, though still softly.

He makes a curious noise, but leans over me to grab it, placing a hand on the right of my head for stability. He fumbles around for a second, then finds it and sits up.

"Thanks, Shouyou," I say, taking it and smiling softly up at him. He squeaks for the third time, covering his face with his too-big sleeves.


	31. Photography

While his face is covered, I take a photo. The moonlight illuminates Shouyou in that now-familiar ethereal halo. His hair flutters in the soft breeze from the cracked window. His legs are bare, pale and strong, on either side of my hips. The soft, golden light from his nightlight completes the picture.

 _I want to_ _take_ _photos of him everywhere. In_ _front_ _of a fireplace, up on a rooftop, on the sidewalk, in_ _the_ _café, in a sunflower field, in a treehouse, mid-jump on the court,_ _about_ _to_ _spike a perfect toss... sitting on my lap, flustered, lit by the_ _soft_ _lights of the night._

I reach out with one hand and take his wrist, feeling through the sleeve. I have to prop myself up on the elbow holding my phone to reach. I gently tug his hand away from his face. He brings his other hand down as well, looking at me with an odd expression.

I take another photo after laying back again, my left hand still on Shouyou's wrist. His fingers twitch in his sleeve, and reach out to hold my hand.

"You're beautiful," I say softly.

He smiles, embarrassed. "You should see yourself."

It's my turn to flush pink. "I- Well- Ah."

Shouyou takes the phone from me, then sits up straight. He takes a photo of me, while my face grows steadily redder. He takes my hand again, and adjusts so he's holding it above my hand. I bring my other hand up, as well. He takes another photo, and I let out a breath.

"Stop taking photos, dumbass..." I whisper.

"But I always want to take pictures of you. Everywhere I can, for as long as we are together."

His words were so similar to the ones I'd thought not more than a minute ago. I take the phone back from him.

"So do I." I take a photo from my point of view, looking up at him leaning over me. His words get caught in his throat, and he lays down completely, burying his face in my neck. His breath sends a tingling sensation down my spine.

"...Dumbass..." I sigh, on instinct, though the corner of my mouth quirks up. He lightly smacks my shoulder.

"Gwah! you're so pretty," he says, disbelieving.

"Have you seen yourself? When you jump high up in the air to spike, especially. Your hair flies and I can _see_ your wings spread out behind you, holding you up in the air for so long. Time stops when you're up there, and not just for yourself. I can see the entirety of you while you're up there, and you're so beautiful, ready to spike as hard as you can."

The longer I ramble, the tighter Shouyou clings to me. Suddenly, he sits up with a huff. He brushes his hair out of his gorgeous eyes, impatiently.

"But _you_. Before I even start running, you're already at the net, feet planted and hands raised. Your eyes--which are gorgeous, by the way--are so focused on the volleyball, but you see everything. Your hair goes all woosh! and you send the ball right where I need it with those _hands_." He takes my hands in his. "They're so strong and perfect and _gwah_!"

"Ugh," I say, practically grinning. "Kiss me."

He drops down and presses his lips to mine without hesitation. My arms wrap around him, my hands roaming from his sides, to his shoulders, to his neck, to his hair, and back down to his hips. _He's so thin..._ He'd kill me for thinking he was fragile.

His arms press into the bed above my head, supporting himself. My shirt has ridden up at this point, and his bare thighs on my skin send electricity through me. I slide my hands down to trace patterns on his thighs as he kisses me like it's the last day on Earth. He lets out a shuddering breath over my skin.

"'Yama..." he breaths. "'Yama, wait-" He pulls away, leaving me feel lightheaded.

"Mm?" I can't form words at the moment.

Shouyou retrieves my phone that we'd dropped on the bed earlier and turns it on, checking the time. He shows me the screen: 1:07 AM. I groan, tightening my grip on his sides. He leans and places my phone back on the desk, plugging it in to charge. Smiling, he presses a soft kiss to my lips, and makes to climb off of me.

"Wait." I say, harsher than I'd intended. I wince, but he doesn't seem to notice, just looks at me quizzically. "Can... can we sleep like this?"

"Like... this?" He asks, settling back on top of me and laying all the way down.

"Yeah," I whisper. His weight is a comforting pressure that makes me feel grounded, whole, warm, at home.

"Okay," he says. "Just like this."

His head is tucked under my chin, orange hair tickling me. His arms are under my shoulders, and his legs are still straddling between my stomach and my hips. I reach down, straining, until I find the comforter. I draw it back up and over us. Then I place my hands on Shouyou's thighs, and close my eyes.

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~


	32. Black Cat

"So, let me get this straight. You saw _me_ , in your _nightmares,_ talking about you going blind. And then you woke up and discovered you could barely see and needed glasses. And then you saw me, and thought, ' _Oh, maybe he_ _made_ _me need glasses! Let's say hi!'"_

"...Pretty much."

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

"'Yama, we're gonna be late!" Shouyou calls from the front door.

The morning had been fairly quick: I woke up, texted Iwaizumi to confirm a time and place, then went on my run. When I came back, Shouyou was awake and attempting to make eggs. After a quick bowl of cereal, we both got ready.

So, here I am, wiping toothpaste off of my chin and dashing to Shouyou at the door.

I'm wearing a white t-shirt with a black hoodie vest, gray jeans, and midnight blue tall Vans. Shouyou has on a bright yellow t-shirt, a paint-splattered pair of previously white overalls, and some matching yellow Converses.

"Hey," he grins when I reach him. "You look good."

"So do you. Dumbass," I say, looking away with pink cheeks.

He grins again, and shuts the door behind us. "So, where exactly are we headed? "Main Street" is pretty vague, you know."

"It's a place. How can that be vague?"

"There's about a billion buildings along it!"

"There is not! There's less than half that!"

"You know what I mean, now get on the bike!" He orders. I sigh and hop on. "That one used to be my dad's, but he never used it. Now, I've got two! But my cousins a few streets down come and use it every now and then."

I suddenly feel uncomfortable sitting on his father's bike. It's solid black, and a decent amount bigger than Shouyou's, but not ridiculously so. Shouyou kicks off, and turns onto the road, glancing at me impatiently. I kick off as well, jerkily finding my way beside him.

"I haven't ridden a bike in a while," I tell him.

"It's easy! Plus, Main Street isn't far. Now, _where_?" He asks.

"...The Garden."

"The what?"

"The Garden," I repeat. "I've only been there once or twice. It's basically a park." I round a corner. _Almost there_.

"I've never heard of it!" He remarks happily.

We turn onto Main Street and slow to a halt. Buildings of every shape, size, and color line the street. Hanging lanterns, brightly colored signs, murals, posters, and planters dot the powerlines and walls. Bright yellow crosswalks, as in the name, criss cross every which way. Cars pass us by, quicker than on the road in front of my house. All in all, very colorful. Not my kind of place.

"Gwah!" Shouyou exclaims in wonder. "I've only ever seen Main Street from the car window. Being really here is so much better!"

I glance at him sideways, and smiling inwardly at his marveling expression. I continue looking for The Garden. Squinting, I readjust my glasses.

"Is that it?" Shouyou asks, pointing down the street a ways.

I follow his finger, but it's too blurry that far away. We kick off again, gliding carefully down the sidewalk. A car honks as it passes, startling me, but I right myself. Shouyou turns and sticks his tongue out at it's fading back lights, and I can't stop myself from letting out a short laugh.

"Uwah!" He whips back around to me and speeds up until we're side by side. He's on my right, between me and the road. "You laughed!"

"Don't be so surprised every time, dumbass," I say, furiously trying to reorganize my expression. "And stop making weird noises!"

He laughs loudly, bright and cheerful. The wind blows through my hair, and would've made my eyes sting had I not been wearing glasses. Suddenly, something small and fuzzy darts into my path. I swerve to the left with a shout, away from it and Shouyou.

My bike's front tire hits a bump, and I'm thrown onto a small patch of grass at a storefront. My bike is somewhere at my feet. Sticks and leaves jab into my back. I sit up, groaning and rubbing scratches on my bare arms.

"'Yama! Are you okay!?" Shouyou hops off his parked bike and runs toward me, fretting.

"I'm fine. Just scratched. Are you..?"

"I didn't crash, I'm okay," he says and helps me up. I lean against the brick wall, massaging my leg. It feels bruised. "What happened, anyways?"

"Something ran in front of me. An animal, or something." I lean, looking around Shouyou. A black, spiky-looking thing twitches by our bikes.

I push past Shouyou, who protests, but helps me to it.

"Is that... a cat?" I ask. My glasses are cracked and dirty. I take them off impatiently.

I crouch, and look closer. It's a black cat a few feet away by the road, its fur all puffed up. Longer fur covers one of its yellow eyes, which look simultaneously shocked and uncaring. A pristine red collar decorates its neck, a volleyball keychain dangling from it. Its tail twitches, and it hisses at me, baring sharp teeth. Otherwise, it looks perfectly fine.

"Here, let me." Shouyou steps closer to the cat and kneels. He extends a hand, making a 'pspsps' noise. I try not to laugh at the sight, but despite its absurdity, it's strangely endearing.

The cat immediately stops growling and hissing, and its fur begins to settle. Ears perked forward, it steps toward his hand, steering clear of me. I frown. It purrs and nuzzles against Shouyou, who turns and grins at me.

I stick my tongue out at him and stand, moving to right my bike. The cat continues purring, now laying lazily in Shouyou's lap. I roll my eyes, and finish checking over the bike for damage. Then I prop the kickstand and check over myself, similarly.

"I'm glad the cat is okay... We should find its owner! It isn't a stray, it has a collar! And it's friendly," Shouyou says, before turning to me as if remembering something. "Should we find somewhere to patch you up first, though?"

I open my mouth to reply.

"I see you've found my cat," says a familiar voice behind me.


	33. Hyena

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_Hinata's POV_

I turn at the sound of the familiar voice. The sun is behind the figure in the alley; I squint. Kageyama makes a startled noise when he turns, as well.

"Who are you?" I ask.

The figure shifts into clarity. "Now, don't you remember your old friend?"

I gasp. "Kuroo-san!?"

He looks down at me, tall and intimidating. His lazy grin and equally lazy golden brown eyes seem to be reminiscent of the cat's. Well, eye. Also like the cat's, one eye is covered by black hair; the rest sticks up. _Rooster-head_ , I remember.

He's wearing a black t-shirt that bears the words "We Are The Blood" in a red and white font. He also has on black jeans and chunky red sneakers.

Kageyama pulls his glasses back out of his pocket and wipes them off on his shirt. Once he replaces them on the bridge of his nose, he squints between the cracks.

Kuroo's grin widens, hands on his hips. "The very same. Thanks for taking care of Hyena for me, by the way," he says, and clicks his tongue.

When he does, the cat hops out of my lap, prancing towards him. It still swerves away from Kageyama, who frowns again.

"Hyena?" He asks, before I can.

"An inside joke," Kuroo offers as explanation, shrugging. He bends and scratches the cat between the ears.

"With who?" I ask this time.

"Kuro-kun, if you found it, let's go back..." Another familiar voice says.

A shadow shifts behind Kuroo before becoming clear as well: Kenma, holding and tapping away at his phone. He's wearing a plain white shirt, skinny blue irons, white Converses, and a red flannel tied around his waist.

"Kenma!" I exclaim, bounding to my feet.

Kenma looks up, his bored expression changing to one slightly more lively and happy, though only slightly. "Oh, hi, Shouyou."

Kageyama stiffens at the use of my first name. I look at him, and give him a small smile. _Don't worry, okay?_ I try to say in my smile. I don't know if he really understands, but he seems to settle a bit.

I turn back to Kenma, grinning wildly. "It's been ages! How've you been? Why're you guys all the way over here!? I didn't know Kuroo-san had a cat! And it looks just like him!"

He pockets his phone, taking in my questions carefully. He takes a second to collect his answers, and--

"We've been fantastic, thank you for asking! We're visiting a relative of mine. And Kenma here picked it out for me; positively adorable, isn't it?" Kuroo rambles with a sly smile, hoisting the cat up and into his arms. It stretches, yawns, and begins purring itself to sleep.

Kenma glares at Kuroo, then rolls his eyes. "Basically. I've been bored, but this new game's coming out, and..."

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_Kageyama's POV_

While Kenma talks to a very animated Shouyou, I look back at Kuroo. He's staring at me with that usual stalker grin, menacingly stroking behind his cat's ears. I shake my head, and step towards him.

"Kuroo-san," I say in greeting.

"Kageyama-kun," he replies. "Nice glasses. Might I ask why you happened upon Hyena-tan?"

I furrow my brow at the use of '-tan'. "Th-thanks... He ran in front of my bike, and I swerved and crashed."

"Ah, well, I suppose he hasn't been fully trained yet. All in due time!" He says, grinning wider. A shiver runs down my spine. "Might I also ask what you're doing here, since we so very kindly explained ourselves?"

I furrow my brow. "We're meeting with Oikawa-san and Iwaizumi-san at The Garden."

"Ah, an interesting choice. I personally haven't had the chance to go, but Kenma has. A 'Poké-trip', he called it." He suddenly seems to sweep closer. "Oi, let us tag along, will you? I have a few things to... sort out with Oikawa-kun..."

I frown again, pushing up my glasses. "It's... personal. You should see him yourself when you get the chance." I casually rest my hand on my bike handle, rubbing my scratches again with the other.

"Oh, alright," he grins. "Thanks for... hanging out with my cat for me! C'mon Kenma, let's head back."

I bow my head slightly as he turns. The cat in his arms seems to glare at me. Kenma reaches up and scratches it under its chin, and it closes its eyes and purrs.

"Bye, Shouyou," Kenma says, turning away as well. I shift uncomfortably.

"Bye, Kenma!! Text me sometime! I'd love to play that game with you!" Shouyou smiles brightly, and waves at the two of them heading back down the alley. They reach the opening to the road on the other side, and round a corner, disappearing from sight.

I blink, readjust my glasses, and turn to Shouyou. "Well."

He looks up at me, readying his bike. "You were _jealous_!"

I inhale sharply. "I was _not_!"

"You were, it was so obvious! Every time Kenma said my first name, you went all sad and pouty," he says, grinning. "Jealous-yama!"

"I wasn't jealous, _or_ pouting!"

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

BY THE WAY:

  
'-san': general, most commonplace honorific, like Mr., Ms., Mrs.,... used typically between equals, shows a level of respect, non-gender specific.

  
'-kun': seniors addressing juniors, anybody addressing men, usually male teens or children, or when addressing a close male friend.

  
'-chan': cutesy, endearing, usually used for grandparents, young children, close friends, etc., feminine, also typically used to address a youthful female.

  
'-tan': the more cutesy version of '-chan', like 'widdle' is to 'little', generally used when addressing babies.


	34. Sick

As we slowly bike down and across the street, we bicker about whether or not I was jealous. I'm relaxed, despite my snappy exterior, and Shouyou seems to sense that, as always, because he can't stop smiling. Of course, I was jealous, but I'll admit that over my dead body.

We soon reach The Garden: Its tall, black, iron gates, though they may have once been menacing, simply look grand and inviting due to the masses of vines twisting all over them.

Flowers bloom perpetually from every surface, and every shade of green imaginable fills the area. A wire canopy draped in plants covers the whole plot in a breezy shade. Cracked white stone pillars support the canopy, moss growing from the crumbling surface. Wooden picnic tables and benches dot the place, along with various trees and shrubs, and a few water fountains, trash cans, etc.

 _I really should come here more often,_ I think, pulling out my phone to take a few photos. _Maybe on a date with Shouyou..._

I suddenly remember what we're here for, and whip around, looking for Iwaizumi and Oikawa. _We're late, we're late, we've_ _gotta_ _be late--_

The pair walk in as Shouyou rests his bike against a pillar. He looks up with a short gasp. I pass my bike to him as well, and draw up short in front of the two, crossing my arms after pushing up my glasses.

"Ah, Tobio-chan! You're early! Sorry about the wait, we had a little... run-in with a friend."

Oikawa's white hoodie, blue jeans, and white sneakers look pristine, as always. Iwaizumi's sleeveless tank top and black jeans, though ripped are the latter, are the same. Shouyou steps up beside me as I look back up to study Oikawa's face.

Though he sports his usual irritating smirk and pompous pose, his eyes give away the worry from the other day, in the café, when he saw my glasses. Iwaizumi simply looks fed up and tired.

"Was it Kuroo-san?" I ask, finally.

Oikawa blinks, surprised. "Yes, actually. Did he bump into you, too?"

"He and Kenma thanked me for almost running over his cat."

Oikawa laughs, while Iwaizumi sighs and moves to a table. We drift after him, exchanging stories. Oikawa's run-in involved just that: jogging and crashing into Kuroo, while Kenma talks with Iwaizumi.

"It can't be a coincidence!" Shouyou exclaims, suddenly, as we all sit. "I mean, it's Kuroo, after all."

I pull out my phone to text Kuroo, but Oikawa throws a leaf at my head. It's carried away by the breeze before it gets halfway across the table. "Don't text yet," he says. "What about _our_ business, hm? Or have you already forgotten."

"...Fine." I say, putting my phone away again. I wipe my glasses.

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

  
"So, let me get this straight. You saw _me_ , in your _nightmares,_ talking about you going blind. And then you woke up and discovered you could barely see and needed glasses. And then you saw me, and thought, ' _Oh, maybe he_ _made_ _me need glasses! Let's say hi!'"_

"...Pretty much."

Oikawa flops backwards, groaning, until his hair nearly reaches the ground. Shouyou glances at him, then at me, then begins to attempt the same thing. I reach out a hand, stopping him

"Why were you so worried when you saw me with glasses, anyways?" I ask.

"I thought you were mocking your dear old grand king!" He says with a grin.

Shouyou suddenly slams his head into the table that I'm glaring at. I jump a good five feet; as do the other two. We all look at him.

"Urgh..." He raises his head. His face is flushed, eyes tired, and sweat makes his hair cling to his forehead, like after a match. "...What..?"

"Sh-Shou, dumbass, what--" I press my hand to his forehead: warm. I grimace, and turn to the other two.

"Looks like Chibi-chan is sick; his boyfriend better take good care of him~!" Oikawa sings. I glare at him.

"Let's meet up again sometime, along with Kuroo-san and Kenma-san," Iwaizumi simply says, standing and dragging Oikawa up as well by the hood. "Do you need help with Hinata-kun?"

"No, thank you. I'll text sometime, but I'm going to be busy the rest of this week and the weekend. It might be a while before I can meet again." I stand, too, letting Shouyou lean against my shoulder. He shivers, and nearly falls over.

Oikawa looks a little worried, but quickly covers it up with a laugh. "Alright, then. Until next time!" He calls, taking his leave with a very slight limp. Iwaizumi nods at me. I return it, and he turns and follow his teammate.

I turn my attention back to Shouyou. _Damnit... How did he get sick so quickly!? And how am_ _I_ _gonna get him home..._

In the end, we just walked. He kept the pace in front of me, while I walked both of our bikes. I wished I could just carry him home, but I couldn't. My eyes stung, but I glared at Shouyou's slightly stumbling feet until it went away.

"'Yama... toss to me when we get home?" Shouyou says after a moment. His voice is hoarse.

"Dumbass, you're sick. Maybe tomorrow."

"'Kay."

He began to slow down and get a little wobbly, but at that point we were only a road or two away from his house. We pressed on. It'd taken a little longer than otherwise, but it only made me all the more grateful when we opened the front door.

"Mrs. Hinata?" I call, taking off mine and Shouyou's shoes.

"Kageyama! Welcome back? Is-- Oh, what's happened to Shouyou!?"

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~


	35. Towel Dry

I sit awkwardly on Shouyou's bed, fidgeting with the blankets and twisting them between my fingers.

I'd summarized to his mother everything that'd happened leading up to his sudden fever and exhaustion. She said that nothing sounded like it could've triggered a reaction, so it must've just been a coincidence. She gave him some medicine to help bring the fever down, force-fed him soup, and sent him to the bathroom to take a hot shower. I ate leftovers from the night before with Natsu.

"I'll take one in the morning," I'd told her.

"Oh, are you sure you're okay with staying while he's sick? I wouldn't want you to, as well!"

"No, it's okay, I'll just be careful. I can help around the house since he won't be able to tomorrow."

"Such a kind boy, thank you so much! I'm honestly glad you're here," she'd said, relieved.

Now, I'm waiting for Shouyou to get out of the shower. I'll need the futon tonight, because I'd definitely get sick if I slept in the same bed as him. Natsu is already asleep in bed. While I wait, I pull out my phone, tapping through all the photos I've taken, listening to the water run. I stifle a yawn, rubbing my eyes behind my glasses and readjusting them.

Then, the water stops. I pause and look up into the hallway. After a couple minutes, the bathroom door opens, flooding the hall with light. The light turns off, and Shouyou steps out, vigorously towel-drying his hair.

He looks like the definition of 'sleepy': Droopy eyes, yawning, oversized clothes, slippers... His t-shirt's sleeves nearly reach his elbows, the neck exposing his pale collarbones. His pants drag on the floor, catching under the heels of his slippers.

He looks up at me, pausing. Water drips to the floor from the ends of his hair. Since my phone's already in my hands, I lift it and take a photo of him.

"'Y-Yama!" Shouyou exclaims, flustered, resuming his hair drying.

I snort. "Let me do that, dumbass; you're gonna pull it all out or something." I gesture at the floor at my feet.

He shuffles over, smiling faintly, hands the towel to me, and plops himself down, leaning against my legs. As I begin drying his hair, he sighs, blissfully. I listen to him hum the now-familiar tune, watching him tap it out on his knees, and let it wash over me. His hair starts to feel drier under my hands, and I notice that it smells like strawberries. I can't help but don a small grin.

"Shou," I say after a moment. "What is that tune you always hum? Or, tunes."

"Well..." He pauses his tapping. "Most of them are just songs on an old CD I have that used to be my dad's. That one, though, is his own song. He wrote them, sometimes, you know. He never made albums or anything, just that one song, but he was obsessed with music.

"He was constantly editing the song, adding and removing lyrics, switching out different instruments... but the tune was always the same. He'd hummed it all the time, so... it's just in my head, now, I guess."

I'd finished drying his hair sometime in the middle of his speech. I drop the towel in his lap, and lean back onto my hands after pushing up my glasses. "That's cool," I say. "That your father loved music that much."

"Yeah," Shouyou replies, still leaning against my legs. "I guess that's why it's so relaxing to me. I don't remember much about him. Music, mostly, but also clocks. He helped me build one out of those little kit things when I was little. He hung it in his room... it was broken and melted, though, in the fire. At least I remember it."

I let out a breath. _He'd_ _never_ _really talked_ _about_ _his dad or how_ _he'd_ _died_ _before..._

"I'm sorry." I don't know what else to say. I lean down and, after hesitating, press my lips to the top of his head.

"It's okay, 'Yama," he says, smiling up at me. Sleepy, but bright.

I let my face soften, too, for a moment. Then I bite my lip and tap his shoulder to get him to stand. "I'll need the futon tonight, so I don't get sick."

He gives me one last smile and rises with a groan. Then he presses a hand to his forehead, grimacing. "My head hu-urts," he complains, before I can ask.

I sigh, and lead him into the livingroom where his mother is. I push up my glasses again as I wait for them to finish talking and taking headache pills. My phone buzzes in my pocket.

_One new message. From: Miwa_

_Miwa: "hey"_   
_"brother"_   
_"m'dude"_   
_"lil dumbass"_   
_"dork"_

_Me: "What is it?"_

_Miwa: "thought you'd never reply, sheesh. just wanted_ _to_ _see how you were doing"_

_Me: "I'm fine. Hinata's sick, but I'll be careful around him. I'll help out around their house tomorrow. We went to meet up with Oikawa and Iwaizumi-san, but didn't learn much. We also bumped into Kuroo-san and Kenma on_ _the_ _way."_   
_"I'll tell you more some other time. We're going to bed now."_

_Miwa: "sounds_ _like_ _a heck_ _of_ _a day"_   
_"oh alright, yeah be careful. sleep tight you two, don't let the bed bugs bite~"_

"'Yama, you have to help me get the futon ready!"

_Me: "Goodnight."_

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

"Ugh, I'd already gotten used to sleeping in the same bed as you!" He pouts, kicking the mattress from under his pile of blankets.

"Yeah. So stop being sick soon, dumbass," I reply, cleaning my glasses and shutting them in their case.

He laughs. "The way you show you care is so weird, 'Yama," he says, and tosses a stuffed animal at my head.

I snatch it out of the air: a brown bear with sewn patches on the elbows and back. I stare at it, mulling over what Shouyou had just said. _Is it really that weird?_ I toss it back up onto his bed with a sigh.

"Just go to sleep, boke. You need it."

" _Fine_ , jeez," he laughs again. "Goodnight, 'Yama~"

"'Night, Shou..."

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~


	36. Grounding

_The darkness presses in on all sides, suffocating me. Its hands clench around my throat, leaving me gasping and blurry-eyed._ _I_ _look around frantically; it feels as if half of me is missing, shattered. Through the haze, a faint, flickering glow appears. I wade through the shadows; my legs feel weighed down by time and space._

_"Shouyou!"_ _I_ _call. My voice echoes back to me a hundred times over. "Shouyou!!"_

_"Ka-a-ageyam-a?" The voice that responds sounds like an inhaled breath, sucked in by the darkness. The voice repeats itself, spoken from all sides, all_ _around_ _me._

_"Shouyou! Where are you?" The_ _glow_ _burns brighter on my right._

_I turn, blinking spots away. The glow seeps from a crack in the ground; the crack is brighter than the sun. I stand at the edge, looking back over my shoulder at the darkness. It snaps its jaws at me, slobbering and clacking and gurgling. The claws tighten slightly_ _around_ _my neck._

_The closer_ _I_ _am to the crack, the more my body tingles. It feels_ _like_ _pins and needles. I step to the very edge, and close my eyes. No warmth is produced from the glow. I lift my foot, and step forward._

_Shouyou's voice echoes all around me,_ _whispering_ _and_ _gasping_ _and yelling_ _and_ _sobbing. It builds and builds and builds and builds and--_

_I fall._

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

I sit up with a shuddering gasp, my hand flying up to my throat. The room spins and careens around me. I stare at the stuffed animal laying on the ground beside me (the patchy teddy bear from last night) and take deep breaths. My throat clenches and my eyes burn. I shut them and relax myself before opening them again. The room has stopped spinning.

I look up, letting my hand fall. _Shouyou's room. Good._ I look at his bed. _He's still asleep._ The door is shut, the window is cracked, and the fan is off.

Trying to slow my heartbeat, I take deep breaths, looking around the room.

_"Five things you can see, four you_ _can_ _touch, three you can hear, two you_ _can_ _smell,_ _and_ _one you_ _can_ _taste. Can you do that for me?"_ My mother would say that every time I had a nightmare and woke up terrified.

I nearly always slept in her room at that point, so she was always there when I woke up. After the car accident, her advice still helped, but it took a long time for me to stop being too numb to remember her words.

I look around the room. _A backpack, leaning against the_ _closet_ _door. A_ _stack_ _of magazines under the bed. A poster hanging from the_ _wall_ _. A volleyball on the floor beside me. And a glowing streetlamp outside in the early morning light._

I take a deep breath, and continue. _My blanket scrunched up at my feet. The stuffed bear_ _I_ _was staring at. Shouyou's hair, ruffling_ _slightly_ _in_ _the_ _faint_ _breeze_ _from_ _the_ _window_ _. The fuzzy carpet._

My heartbeat is almost normal now. _Birds chirping outside. Shouyou's soft breathing. The distant beeping of construction._

I take the bear in my hands, and clutch it to my chest. _The scent of Shouyou everywhere around me. His_ _strawberry_ _shampoo._

One last thing. _His lips when_ _I_ _kiss him, sweet and soft._

My heartbeat is normal now, steady and fairly calm. The bear in my hands is soft and squishy, its fur a brown corduroy. The patches are green plaid, and as are the bottoms of its paws and the inside of its ears. A smooth, black button is sewn on as its nose. Its eyes are similar, but a dark brown color, instead. Its belly button and mouth are sewn with black thread.

I look back up at Shouyou, watching the blanket rise and fall with his breathing. I'm hit with a wave of déjà vu. Not wanting to wake him, since he's sick and needs rest, I silently stand, setting the bear on my pillow. I move to the door and quietly open it, stepping out into the hall. The cold, wooden floor sends a shiver up my spine.

I slip into the bathroom, and softly shut the door behind me. Then I sigh, and look up at my reflection in the mirror, turning on the light. The unfamiliar bathroom gives me a weird feeling, even though I'd been in it before. I hadn't really processed it the last time, since I was rushing.

The walls are cream, the counter is white, the cupboards a dark brown wood, and the sink, toilet, and shower are white, as well. The tile floor is even colder than the wooden boards. The mirror shows me my exhausted expression, though it's less tired and more terrified.

Not knowing what to do, I use the bathroom. Then I wash my hands, letting the cool water sharpen my senses. _My nails_ _are_ _getting long..._ I try to keep my hands in top condition for my tosses.

Finally, I make my way back to Shouyou's room, quietly shutting the door again. The carpet is much more appreciated. I sit back down on my futon, and pull my bag toward me. From it, I grab my toiletries.

Waiting for the sun to fully rise and Shouyou to wake up, I trim and file my nails. Moving through the familiar actions, my mind sluggishly drifts, pushing away my dream. I think of breakfast, and Shouyou, and volleyball, and Shouyou again. Every time I do, my stomach flutters.

Then I think of my father. It's Thursday, now. Yesterday went by way too fast. I have to go back home on Saturday. On Sunday, Miwa and I will see my father again, where we will decide whether or not we want him to live with us.

He's my father, even if I haven't seen him for years. Shouldn't he stay? Shouldn't he take care of us? He's an adult, and Miwa barely is.

But we've been okay without him for so long, now. Our grandmother took care of us until Miwa could. And Miwa is doing great. And now there's Mrs. Hinata.

My head spins. I decide to think about it more later.

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~


	37. Pancakes

_Hinata's POV_

A creak wakes me up. I yawn, blinking my eyes open. I'm curled up on my left side, facing the window, and my left nostril is clogged up. I feel a bit suffocated. I roll over, and promptly fall off the bed.

"Dumbass!?"

I open my eyes again, grinning up at Kageyama's face. "Hi, To-bi-o~" I say, carefully pronouncing the name both because it's unfamiliar on my tongue, and because my stuffy nose is making it hard to speak properly.

My grin widens at the blush spreading across his face. His blue eyes, widened by his glasses, glare down at me. Then he huffs and moves back onto his futon, leaving me on the floor.

"Hi," he starts. "Shouyou."

I grin at his back and roll onto my stomach, before scooting myself along the floor towards him, like a determined frog with no front legs. Once I'm close enough, I clamp my arms around his waist. I can feel his breath hitch under my hands, and the rise and fall with each one. I pull myself up until I'm kneeling behind him and my head rests between his shoulderblades.

"Shou, you're going to get me sick..." The vibrations of his voice rumble against my chest, which is pressed against his back.

A soft breeze blows through the window, along with the sounds of a sleepy morning. I let out a long, contended sigh. "I won't. What are you doing awake so early, anyways?"

"Had a dream and couldn't go back to sleep."

"I'm sorry." I let go, and slide around to face Kageyama. Sitting across from him, I can see that he's cleaning his glasses. I scoot closer.

"Oh, I forgot! I'm sorry about your glasses, 'Yama..." They'd gotten cracked yesterday when he fell from his bike.

"It's okay. I needed better prescriptions anyway, and I can still see through these enough until then." He gently rubs at the cracked lense. Peering down at his hands, I notice his newly trimmed nails.

I squint up at him. "Did you go to a nail salon while I was asleep?"

He chokes, turning away. Right before he covered his mouth, I could see the hint of a smile. "No, boke! I just cut and filed them!"

"You have a whole _routine_ for your _nails_ ," I say, falling backwards beside his backpack and laughing.

"I'm a setter! I have to take care of my hands!" He protests, putting his glasses back on and glaring at me.

I sit up and push my hair down until it looks like his, and make a grumpy face. "'I'm Kagryama and I wish I could set, serve, and spike _all by myself_ with my _perfect hands_ ,'" I say in mockery, and with a sniff.

He takes his glasses right back off again and tackles me with a terrifying grin.

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

"'Morning, boys!" Ma says as we walk in. She's preparing pancakes. "Well, don't you two look rough! Not sleep well?"

Kageyama's face, for some reason, turns a bright shade of red. His glasses are back on again, though the crack in the right lense makes it difficult to see that eye.

"He tackled me, so I had to get revenge," I say, grinning evilly. I'd tickled him until he all but threw me across the room.

"I'll do that, Mrs. Hinata. You go rest," he says to ma, before turning to me. "You were making fun of me!"

She laughs at us. "Why, thank you dear! So sweet."

She takes off her apron and lays it on the counter, and hands Kageyama the ladle to spoon the pancakes into the pan. Then she gives us one last crooked grin, before heading down the hall to wake Natsu. Seeing Kageyama hesitating by the apron as I lower myself onto a seat suddenly sent an image into my head: Kageyama wearing _only_ an apron, blushing furiously.

"What're you staring for?" He asks from the oven and looking over his shoulder at me, having already begun cooking the first batch. The apron, sadly, was hung on a hook.

I grin sweetly at him. "'Tell you later~" I sniffle.

Kageyama huffs and turns back around. He works deftly, waiting and flipping and scooping.

"Can you get plates and syrup?" He asks, not turning around.

"Nope." I stand and move to the cupboards. He sighs at me, to which I reply with a grin. "Oh, hey! You should mix some chocolate chips in there!"

He blinks and looks down at me as I set the plates down. "You have some?" He asks.

I set the syrup down as well, and grin once again.

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

"Hi, Shouyou." Natsu says, walking into the kitchen and rubbing her eyes. "Hi, friend."

"'Morning, Natsu!" Shouyou says, laying across the kitchen counter.

He has a pancake in each hand, and another covered in maple syrup on a plate in front of him. I'm at the oven, a tall, hot stack of them on a plate ready to be eaten. I've since donned the apron, and both it and my hands are covered in chocolate. Currently licking the chocolate off my fingers, I look at her and freeze.


	38. Baffled Breakfast

"...What are you two _doing_?" Natsu asks, completely baffled.

I slowly move my hands behind my back, as if that'd help at all. Shouyou quickly hops off the counter-- or at least, as quickly as he can with a pancake in either hand. He looks around, then sets them on the plate on the counter. He stands next to me, moving his hands behind his back as well. He sniffs.

Natsu squints at us. "Can I... have pancakes?"

"Oh, sure, Natsu!" I spin around and grab a few, gesturing frantically at Shouyou to get a plate. He does, and I pile the pancakes on. I set it on the counter beside the maple syrup. "Here," I say, feeling a bit like I'm working in a restaurant.

Grinning at me, Natsu clambers onto a stool to reach the syrup, and promptly drowns her pancakes in it. I gently take it from her, making anxious noises in my throat and flashing her a small smile.

"That's probably enough for now..."

"Aww, okay," she says, taking her plate and heading to the livingroom.

"Do you think you might need a fork? Or are you just going to use your hands," I call after her. She turns around sheepishly, and continues on to the livingroom once recieving her fork.

I turn and see Shouyou staring at me, leaning on the counter on his elbows and propping up his chin with his hands. He sniffs again.

I push up my glasses and smooth my apron uncomfortably. "What?" I ask.

"'Tell you later," he says again, grinning. His voice sounds slightly hoarse; he sniffs once more. A faint blush spreads across his cheeks. I furrow at him, but prepare a plate of pancakes for myself.

~•°•°------------------------°•°•~

About halfway through my pancakes and holding up a forkful near my mouth, I hesitate. "Hey, Shou?" I ask, before glancing at the time on my phone.

"Hm?" He turns to me, looking vaguely like a chipmunk.

I hold back a snort. "Do you... want to go so somewhere today?"

He holds up a finger and, after a moment, swallows his bite. "Somewhere? Like when we went to the café?"

I turn faintly pink. "Yeah."

"Okay! Where and when?" He grins brightly at me. Despite being a little sick, he sure is cheerful.

Shouyou can light a whole room and make it bright and vivid. He brings out the good in everyone and everything just by being there. The kitchen, though a little messy, now, seems to shine. The paintings hanging on the walls appear brighter and more colorful. Shouyou himself radiates light and happiness and everything good.

He stares at me, furrowing his brow, and swallows another large bite. "You okay?"

I force myself back down to reality. "Oh, uh, yeah, sorry. Uh. I was thinking Main Street? I wanted to see The Garden with you again, and there's a few other places, too... But you're sick, so if you want to stay home, then that's okay, we can go tomorrow or another time--"

"I want to!" He interrupts with a sniffle. "We'll stay home tomorrow, since you'll have to go the next day. Today, let's go out!"

"Okay..." I let the corners of my mouth quirk up just the slightest bit. He doesn't say anything, but he smiles at me, before beginning wolfing down the rest of his pancakes.

A signal for a race. I have to finish eating first. I shovel the pancake...

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

"Why're you always the last one ready?" Shouyou asks as I scramble to the door, phone in hand. "I keep getting déjà vu."

He has on a green flannel, white t-shirt, jeans, and his usual yellow Converses. I just have a black hoodie, black jeans, and my blue Vans. I sigh at him.

"Hey, you look good in black!" He says, winking at me and turning around to open the door.

I reach out and poke his head with my free hand. "Dumbass."

He shoos my hand away and ushers me out the door, following behind.

  
"Oh, there you two are!" Mrs. Hinata says from the car. She decided to drive us, since neither of us were fit to ride the bikes again, and because she needs to take Natsu to a friend's house, anyways. "Hop in!"

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

"Text or call me when I should come pick you two up, alright? Be safe, and have fun!"

Shouyou and I find ourselves at the same spot as yesterday, where we'd paused on our bikes to admire Main Street. Nothing has changed. I automatically look towards The Garden, but it's too far away to see properly. I wipe at the crack in my lense, impatiently; the sun, high in the sky, gives it a horrible glare.

"So, where are we going?" Shouyou asks, looking up at me. His fingers tap out a rhythm on his jeans.

I look away, red faced. "Well..."


	39. Family Reunion

_Hinata's POV_

"Over there," Kageyama says, pointing to a white building a little ways down. Sniffling, I squint, but can't make out any signs.

He reaches for my hand, then hesitates. Surprised, I look down at his hand, then up at him. His gaze is cast to the side, and he's biting his lip, nervously. I reach out as well, and link our fingers together, smiling up at him. He blinks, and the corners of his mouth twitch.

"Dumbass," Kageyama croaks. He clears his throat. "Come on, then."

As he drags me along down the street, I grin, unable to look away from our hands. _He's so different, now... but still his old grumpy self. I wonder what it'll be like on Monday, once we continue practice. It feels like a lifetime_ _since_ _I_ _last was on the court. But... he has to see his father first._ My smile falters. _How_ _will_ _that go? Will he decide to let his_ _father_ _live with him and Miwa? What will happen if he does? Or if he doesn't?_

I bump into Kageyama's back, and let out a surprised yelp. "Sorry," I say, backing up. Our fingers are no longer linked, but his hand still grips mine tightly behind his back. He says nothing.

I look up at him, and see his jaw clench. Standing on my toes, I peek around his shoulder. The four are there, again: Oikawa-san and Iwaizumi-san, obviously, but also Kuroo-san and Kenma. Oikawa and Kuroo seem to be engaged in friendly conversation, but they hold themselves stiffly. Only Iwaizumi and Kenma, off to the side, have noticed us. Kenma smiles at me.

"Kenma!" I exclaim with a grin. Everybody turns to me, surprised, and I shrink back a little. "...Hi?"

"Oikawa. Kuroo-san." Kageyama says in greeting. They look at him, instead, though Kenma comes to stand by me. I gently take my hand out of Kageyama's, giving him a small smile.

"Ah, Tobio-chan! What a wonderous coincidence, is it not?" Oikawa says grandly, sweeping his arms in a wide gesture. Iwaizumi, behind him, puts his head in his hands.

Kageyama pushes up his glasses with his now free hand. "It's been quite a few coincidences, now. What are all of you doing here, anyways?"

Kenma pokes my arm. "Hm?" I turn to him. I can hear the others talking about how they're "just passing by" and it's "such a coincidence".

He holds up his phone, which has the Notes open. It reads, "Kuroo asked me out. _(:V 」∠)_"

I gasp and look up at him, eyes wide, before quickly turning away to cough into the crook of my arm. When I turn back, Kenma has his finger over his mouth, shushing me. I decide against typing on his phone, since I'm sick, and instead drag him away from the others to whisper.

" _Really!? When!? How!? What did you say!?_ " I ask him as quietly as I can.

He types quickly, then shows me the screen again, leaning against the white stone wall. It says "Last night. He put a piece of paper in my 3DS that said 'Will you go out with me? yes or yes'. I threw it at him, and he took that as a yes. I didn't say no, so. ┐(￣ヘ￣)┌"

" _Wow! I'm happy for you! Honestly, for a while_ _I_ _thought you were already together, so_ _I_ _think you'll be a good match!"_

Kenma gives me a half smile, and looks at Kuroo. Even though his expression doesn't change, his eyes get just a little bit more relaxed when he looks at him. Then he furrows his brow, and types again. "What about you and Tobio ( ・◇・)?"

" _O-oh, us? Well... Don't tell Kuroo, because he'll probably tell everybody, but... We got together, too, on Saturday!_ " I give Kenma a huge grin.

His eyebrows shoot up, and he smiles. "Took you two that long? <(￣︶￣)>"

" _What do you mean?_ " I laugh, rubbing the back of my neck.

Before he can start typing, Kuroo comes up to us. "Come on, Kenma. You too, crow, we're all going in together," he says, with a mildly creepy looking grin.

I gulp, wave at Kenma, and dart away to stand behind Kageyama again. He looks a little dazed. From around Kageyama's arm, I watch Oikawa and Iwaizumi head inside the building.

"Kuroo said we're going in. What even is this place, anyways?" I ask, searching for a sign again.

He glances sideways at me, snapping out of his reverie. "A volleyball museum."

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

Buzzing with excitement, I follow Kageyama through the glass doors, clinging onto the back of his hoodie. His hands are relaxed in his pocket, and his pace is calm, as well, but his eyes are bright and flitting all around. He pulls out a hand to push up his glasses, and I look away to stare at the building.

The six of us are alone in what appears to be a waiting room. The only other person here, sitting at the desk on the right, is...

"Coach!?" Kageyama and I exclaim in unison.

Coach Ukai's spiky blond head jerks up to look at us, having apparently been too absorbed in his sports magazine to notice us walk in. He quickly pulls out his cigarette and sets it on the ash tray.

"Kageyama! Hinata! I didn't expect you two to be here, though I guess I should have. And with two Nekomas and Johsais, no less!" He laughs loudly, and stands up, extending his hand to the other four.

One by one, they shake his hand. I hop up to the desk, as well.

"I thought you worked in a shop!" I exclaim.

"I do, but it's closed for the day since ma is sick. My friend, the manager here, asked if I could come take a shift, since a few of the workers here got caught in another town because of the flood."

"Ohh!" I hop back over to Kageyama, grinning. Coach Ukai makes small talk with the two captains and taps on his computer as I relay to Kageyama what he'd told me. After an exchangement of coins, Coach taps a key, and a door on the far end opens.


	40. Small Giant

All six of us turn towards the door. Kuroo plucks Kenma's phone from his hands and shoves it into his pocket. Coach Ukai grins from behind the counter, and kicks back in his seat to mischievously watch us leave. As a group, we walk past the desk to the door. I can't see anything past it; only pitch black.

I reach out and clutch Kageyama's sweatshirt again, this time his sleeve. A shiver of excitement runs through me as we step through the door, in the back of the group again. Once we're all through, the door shuts behind us, sending us in pitch black. Each shuffle echoes in the room, but I can't tell how large it is.

"Kenma, it's as dark as your coffee," Kuroo whispers. Most of us double over, wheezing, and over the sound I can hear Kenma sigh dramatically.

The darkness seems to buzz in my eyes, like static. A pole brushes against my back, making me jump. Suddenly, a click sounds out, and a small light is turned on. It shines onto the wall in front of us in a large rectangle: a projector. It crackles for a moment, blurry, then snaps into clarity.

It's a larger-than-life video of the "Small Giant" darting across the court, planting his feet firmly, and leaping into the air. I now know what Kageyama meant by being able to see wings: I can picture them fanned out from his back, holding him in the air for far longer than should've been possible.

He slams down the volleyball to the other side of the net in an insanely aimed spike. I gasp, tightening my hold on Kageyama's sleeve, as the _smack_ echoes through the room. The spike wins the set.

The noises of the crowd cheering fade away along with the clip. Then, drums pound, and feet stomp in the darkness. Short, super-fast clips of spikes, serves, tosses, blocks, and receives flash across the wall. My eyes dart everywhere they can, taking in the magnificent video with wide eyes.

The drums grow louder, a cymbal crashes, and everything quickly goes as quiet and dark as before. Another click, and a door across from where we just entered opens, but only a very dim yellow light leaks through. It's enough to see the others by, though, and their eyes look bright and their cheeks flushed as though they just ran up a mountain.

Once again, we file through the door. It shuts behind us, as usual, and the light slowly, gradually, becomes brighter. I'm able to get used to it easily, this way, though it still seems bright. We're in a plain white room, with no discernable features except the lights and a pair of rectangle-shaped lines for the doorways.

Oikawa and Kuroo talk and laugh quietly to eachother, and try to get Iwaizumi to join them, while the rest of us stand off to the side. I look up at Kageyama and grin, with a small sniffle. He looks down at me, slightly pink, and pushes up his glasses with his free hand, clearing his throat quietly. From this angle, I can hardly see the crack.

The third door opens. This one, we can see into: a massive room, with what appears to be shelves, mannequins, and posters. This time we're in the middle of the group, with Kuroo and Kenma behind us. We fan out after entering.

"GWAH!" I gasp.

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~  
 _Kageyama's POV_

  
The mannequins don dozens of Japanese volleyball powerhouse team uniforms. Aoba Johsai, Dateko, Shiritorizawa, Nekoma, and Fukurōdani, to name a few. The bright colors contrast grandly with the white walls and ceiling and gray tile floors. Small spotlights shine on each display, illuminating them clearly.

Besides the mannequins, they're are shelves and counters upon which rest beautifully preserved volleyball shoes. Each one belonged to and are signed by a famous player. They come in a variety of colors: white, white and red, black, black and gold, black and white, and black and red. All protected by glass cases, of course.

The posters are large photos of some of the best volleyball plays and players in Japan. I recognize a lot of them from the video we watched in the other room.

Shouyou leaps around the room, gasping at every poster. He barely manages to refrain himself from touching the glass. I trail after him, unable to keep jaw from falling open at the posters. My fingers itch to give a toss like the player in _this_ photo, or spike like the one in _that_ photo, or block like the ones in _those_ photos.

It feels almost like seeing photos of long gone relatives that did amazing things, and wanting desperately to carry those amazing things through the family.

"Iwa-chan~!" Oikawa calls, posing by the Aoba Johsai uniform. "Take a picture!"

Kenma, further down, gazes up at the Nekoma uniform, hands in his sweatshirt pockets. Kuroo stands behind him, using his head as an armrest, and pointing at something on a photo with his other hand. He has is usual creepy grin, but accompanied by a familiar gleam in his eye that I see on the court during matches.

I adjust my glasses, looking for bright orange hair. After moment, I see it; it'd blended well with the orange on the uniform on the furthest side of the room. I blink. _...Karasuno?_

I make my way towards Shouyou, weaving around the other four that've begun roaming around the rest of the room. Once I reach him, I can clearly see his excitement: the tips of his ridiculous hair are shivering. He stands with his arms glued to his sides, hands in tight fists.

His mouth, wide open, gapes up at the display with equally wide eyes. The lights make stars in the brown irises. I look away, quickly, up at the uniform.

They haven't changed a bit since the age of the Small Giant. The black is rimmed with an orange reminiscent of Shouyou's hair, and proudly boast a large number ten. _Shouyou's number._


	41. Compare and Contrast

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

_"--And here's your uniform, Hinata!" Sugawara had said. His gray hair shone under the gym lights as he held up the dark uniform. Black, with orange accents and a big, white number: ten._

_Having already put mine on -- with the number nine -- I'd watched Hinata's eyes grow wide. "Gwah! Ten! That's the Small Giant's number!" He'd excitedly taken it from Sugawara, who laughed at his enthusiasm. Hinata turned_ _around_ _to look at Daichi, our captain. "Did you_ _give_ _me this number knowing that!?"_

_Daichi had laughed, pulling on the jacket over top his uniform. "Just a coincidence, Hinata."_

_"Then it must be fate!!" He'd exclaimed, holding it out in front of himself._

_Tanaka and Nishinoya had laughed,_ _doubled_ _over and howling. The latter had his uniform on, but the former was topless._

_"Dumbass, put your uniform on!" I'd shouted at Hinata, exasperated._

_"Kageyama is_ _right_ _. And you, too, Tanaka!" Suga called out._

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

"The 'Small Giant'..." Shouyou said under his breath, unclenching his fist to reach dreamily toward the display.

I blink out of the haze of memory, and move my hand to block Shouyou's before he breaks anything. He barely reacts; only his golden eyelashes seem to flutter, and his hand slowly falls back down. The sounds of the rest of the group talking fade away, and all I can see is Shouyou.

Of course, he's focused on a volleyball display.

I blink again, clearing my throat and pushing up my glasses to reset my train of thought. I look back toward the display again, and notice that the glass case, normally holding the shoes, is empty. I gently nudge Shouyou so he moves over a little, and kneel in front of the case. All that's inside is a small card that reads:

_"Temporarily taken out of display for personal reasons."_   
_-Tenma Udai_

I squint at the name. _Where have_ _I_ _heard it before?_

"Tobio..." Shouyou mutters. Startled, I look up at him and rise to my feet. His eyes look glazed over. He opens his mouth... and then turns away, coughing into his inner elbow.

"Wha- are you okay!?"

He finishes coughing and looks back at me, grinning. "Yeah! Why, are you worried about me?" he teases.

I sigh, reach out, and tug on a few locks of hair, reminiscent of when I'd practically pull it out. Shouyou's cheeks redden. I turn away, slightly embarrassed, and shove my hands into my pockets, looking for the other four.

They're not really looking at the displays anymore; instead, they're talking and laughing quietly amongst eachother. Kuroo and Oikawa appear more relaxed, and Kenma and Iwaizumi are off to the side, looking at something on the former's phone. Behind me, Shouyou yawns before burying his hands in the folds of my sweatshirt. I look up at the ceiling, trying not to blush or let my heart flutter.

"Oh, Chibi-chan! I have something to show you~!" Oikawa calls, waving him over.

I squint at him, and move to the side to let Shouyou pass. He looks up at me for a second before crossing the room. I hesitate, giving one last glance at the Karasuno display, and move to join the rest of the group.

"Oikawa-san?" Shouyou asks. I stand behind him, giving the setter in question a death stare.

He smirks at me. Even though Iwaizumi wasn't looking at him before, he looks up now, and takes a step to smack him upside the head. "Ow, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa whines, rubbing the injury. "Anywho, I only wanted to show you this~"

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small figurine with a metal keychain ring attached to it. He plops it into Shouyou's hand, who holds it up, squinting. I lean over him, looking closely as well. It's purple and red, and appears to be a Pokémon. The name 'Gengar' pops into my head, though I'm not certain. It wears a wide, evil grin and angry red eyes.

"I found it in a park the other day! Doesn't it look just like Tobio-chan~?"

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

We wave goodbye to Coach Ukai as we leave. This time we're at the front of the group, and Oikawa and Iwaizumi are at the back. The Grand King complains to the other about getting smacked on the back of the head twice in one day, by two different people. Iwaizumi simply sighs. Kenma's phone beeps as he plays some sort of phone game. Kuroo is bent over, listening to some story Shouyou is telling.

We make it outside. The sky is just beginning to turn yellowish as the afternoon sets in. We stand on the sidewalk by a telephone pole, somewhat awkwardly. A car drives by, breaking the silence.

"Well, I suppose we should be off. It was nice seeing all of you again; especially you, Shorty," Kuroo says, grinning at Shouyou. "Eh, not so much you, King, but at least you're not Tsukishima."

My eyebrow twitches as I accidentally bite my tongue. Shouyou makes a confused noise and moves closer to me.

Kuroo puts an arm around Kenma's shoulders and steers him away, holding up a hand as a wave. Kenma looks at Shouyou over his shoulder, then back down at his phone, and the two head down the sidewalk. Our attentions turn to Oikawa... who is trying to push Iwaizumi down an alleyway and sneak away.

I glare, and something inside me snaps. I pull out my phone, stomp towards them and ignore Shouyou's protests, and take the clearest photo of Oikawa's panicked face that I can. It isn't everyday you see him wear that expression, and I'd like to savor it.

"You look like you just ate sour milk," I tell him, and turn away as he shouts at me.

As I leave, I can hear Iwaizumi talking to him. "It's true, Shitty-kawa..."

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~


	42. Fireworks and Classical

"Why do we _always_ bump into them every time we come out here?"

I look down at Shouyou sitting beside me on the bench. Our discarded snack wrappers are stuffed in my pocket; we hadn't had lunch, and it was nearly dinner, but they were enough to keep our stomachs from growling.

We're at the park that we went to after going to the café the other day -- though it seems like a lifetime ago -- to watch the sky as we wait. I haven't told him what we're waiting _for_ , though.

"I don't know. They're probably all just staying in a hotel and can see us everytime we step foot on Main Street orsomething. Their captains really like bothering people."

"That's true~" he sings, leaning his head back and reaching toward the sky. He sits up, suddenly. "Hey, that place was real cool, by the way! The volleyball museum! I didn't know there was one around here... and Coach Ukai was there! Full of coincidences this week, huh?"

"Yeah," I say, checking my watch. The grass rustles at my feet, and the sky slowly darkens, turning a rich pink.

Shouyou lifts himself up and folds his legs under, sitting cross-legged on the bench. He looks at me, elbows on his knees and chin in his hands. "'Yama?"

"Hm?"

"What are we waiting for, anyways?"

The sky is now purple. I look at him, smiling crookedly and taking off my glasses. I tap something on my phone, then set both down on the bench and rise to my feet. Music starts playing; the classical kind that I listen to at night with cracked headphones when tossing up to my ceiling.

I stand in front of Shouyou, and take a deep breath, imagining that I'm in a dream. _What would Dream Me do?_

I hold out my hand to him.

He looks up at me. His cheeks are pink, and the lighting makes his hair look almost the same color. A wobbly, curious smile spreads across his face, and he takes my hand with wide eyes. The music swirls around us as he stands, and the wind makes the leaves and flower petals on the ground do the same.

I tug him towards me, and guide his hands to my waist. I set my lower arms on his shoulders, linking my fingers behind his head. His arms hold me too close to him to simply put my hands on his shoulders.

Shouyou squeaks, craning his neck to look up at me. "Th-this is... new."

I lean away for a moment to turn up the music slightly. "I had a dream, the other night," I start, resuming my position, but leaning back slightly. Shouyou takes his hands from my waist and shoves them into my hoodie pocket, ignoring the wrappers. Now slightly farther apart, we can look at eachother a little easier.

"About what?" he asks, softly. It seems to come naturally to sway gently to the music, as you would when holding a child or animal.

"About this," I reply. "About today."

"Oh." He giggles a little. Crickets begin to join the music.

"Well, just this moment. And this one."

As of on cue, a loud _pop!_ echoes, and a bright, shooting light soars into the now dark sky. Shouyou and I look towards it, just before it explodes in a brilliance of green, looking the way music sounds. The crackling and popping fills the air, miniature explosions of color.

" _Woah_..." Shouyou's eyes are huge, and they reflect the colorful lights beautifully. "Fireworks? Tonight? Why?" he breaths, looking back up at me. Another firework is launched and explodes in the night sky, this one orange.

"'Dunno. I just saw 'Fireworks on Thursday from 5-9 PM' on a flyer the last time we were out here," I say, truthfully. A blue firework explodes.

He laughs, and suddenly pulls his hands out of my pocket and hugs me tightly around the middle. The bright, golden light from yet another firework shines down on us. My fingers itch to take a photo, but I instead wrap my arms around Shouyou as well. _It can wait._

He sighs into my chest, and turns his head to look at the bright show in the sky. "Thank you," he whispers, barely audible.

"Of course," I whisper back. "You better get well soon, so I can kiss you."

He pulls away and laughs, loudly and happily. "I will! I'm almost better already!"

I grin at him, watching him be brighter than the fireworks that shine down on us. I reach for my phone and take a photo of him. He notices, of course, and sticks his tongue out at the camera, trying to grin at the same time. A multitude of bright colors shine down on him, and I can't help but let out a short laugh.

He snatches the phone from me (still playing music) and turns it around, taking a picture of me in return. I sigh at the camera, but my smile still lingers. Shouyou lowers the phone, slowly, gazing up at me.

"You know," he starts, interrupted by a few more fireworks. "I think I'm not sick anymore."

I look down at him, carefully taking the phone back. "...You think so?"

He grins up at me, pulling me down by the hood, and... turns away to cough. I smack his hands away, snickering.

"You're still sick!" I tell him, shoving his whining face away. It's illuminated by green, gold, and red.

"But 'Yama~!"

"It's late anyways, Shou. Tell your mother to come pick us up."

Shouyou heaves a big sigh, but smiles as he types away on his phone.

~•°•°---------------------°•°~


	43. Spiders and Sighs

Suddenly, I hear a loud shout from the bathroom.

"AH!"

_Shouyou._

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

  
I once again find myself waiting on Shouyou's bed for him to come out of the bathroom. Though I want to lie on my back, I figure it's best to avoid his pillow while he's still sick and hasn't changed the case. With a sigh, I turn around to look out the window beside his bed.

The sky is black, now, and the moon is a waning gibbous, but still bright. The streetlamp down the road flickers, momentarily catching my attention. A small animal dashes underneath its light, then disappears into the shadows.

"Friend!"

I jump, slightly, and turn around to see Natsu in the doorway in green pajamas. I readjust my glasses. "Oh, hi, Natsu. Are you going to bed?"

"Yeah, but I have to show you my drawing!"

I stand with a small smile, and move to kneel in front of her. "Let's see it, then."

She grins toothily; her orange pigtails stick out the sides of her head. "Tada!" she says, proudly bringing the drawing in front of her from behind her back.

The colored pencil drawing depicts four figures, three with fluffy, orange hair and one with straight, jet black hair. They stand in a grassy field full of brightly colored flowers, and a vibrant blue sky with white clouds. The lines, though slightly wobbly, are strong and sure.

"It's gorgeous!" I say, looking up at her and ruffling her hair. She giggles joyfully, rosy cheeked. "Is it supposed to be all of us?"

"Yep! That's momma, Shouyou, me, and you!" Nastu replies, pointing at each of the figures in turn with a big smile.

My heart flutters, and a warmth spreads through me. "Well, it's perfect, Natsu. It looks exactly like us! But you should be off to bed, now, okay?"

"Okay! 'Nighty night!" She flashes me one last grin, and struts down the hallway, holding her picture to her chest.

I smile at her retreating figure, and rise to my feet. After a moment, I turn to head back to Shouyou's bed. Suddenly, however, I hear a loud shout from the bathroom.

"AH!"

Wide-eyed, I whirl around and dart to the bathroom door, opening it with a sharp bang. "Shouyou!?"

He stands by the shower, dripping wet and completely bare, his hands covering his groin. Time slowed down, like it does on the court. His hair, freshly towel-dried, sticks up even more wildly than normal. His cheeks are dusted pink, a color that is slowly spreading down to his chest. His slim build is gorgeous.

His arms, though strong and defined, are still thin. Same with his stomach, though it looks softer. I've paid the most attention, in the past, to his legs; particularly his thighs. They're just as I'd pictured. His hip bones form a V, and--

And wide, brown eyes stare back at me, like a deer in headlights. He lets out a small cough. Time speeds back up again.

"...There was a spider..."

I turn back around and slam the door shut.

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

We sit side by side on Shouyou's bed, looking at our hands. Both of our faces are bright red.

"So..." he begins.

"I was worried," I interrupt, stiffly.

"It was just a spider!"

"You yelled!"

"I was naked!"

"You were naked!"

Now facing eachother, we glare. Then Shouyou bursts out laughing, but it quickly turns into coughs, which he buries into his elbow. He flops backwards onto his bed with a sigh, pressing his palms to his eyes. I furrow at him, and push up my glasses.

"Why are we even arguing!? You were worried about me. Thank you. Even though you walked in on me while I was very naked," he says with a grin after he's done coughing.

I look down at my hands again, smiling faintly. "...Sorry," I say, not sorry at all.

Shouyou sits up again and looks at me with a scoff.

"What?" I ask.

"You are most definitely _not_ sorry! You were looking at me like--"

I clap a hand over his mouth, blushing furiously and pointing to the open door with the other. He glares at me, and shoves my hand away.

"You're lucky I'm sick, or else I would've licked your hand," he says, getting up to shut the door. "G'night ma!"

"Goodnight, you two!"

Shouyou shuts it with a click, and grins at me.

It takes me a moment to process what he'd said. "Wait- What- Licked!?"

He laughs, doubling over, but tries to quickly calm himself. "To get you to move your hand!"

I put my head in my hands and sigh as he finishes giggling. "How was I looking at you, anyway?"

He says nothing, but I can hear the creak of him moving in front of me. I look up at him, slowly becoming redder. He looks down at me with an intensity I see when he's flying in the air, the ball in front of him, and his arm mid swing to hit it. I remember the way all those fireworks earlier made his eyes change colors. Shouyou smiles, softly, and moves closer, readying himself to sit in my lap.

I stand and flick his forehead, making him yelp. "You aren't better yet, dumbass."

"But 'Yam~a!" he whines.

I move to my futon and rearrange the blankets on it while I attempt to steady my heartbeat. "Tomorrow, if you're better." I look at him, watching him pout and shuffle to the light switch. "So get better soon."

~•°•°------------------------°•°•~


	44. An Ode to the Macarena

"You meant kissing, right?"

I'm much more comfortable, now, in his room, even at night. It's all familiar, almost as much as my own bedroom. I squint up at Shouyou in the darkness; he appears to be laying on his side, looking down at me.

"When?" I ask.

He rolls onto his back and grabs something, then tosses it a little ways into the air before catching it. His stuffed bear. Or maybe a different stuffed animal. Without my glasses, it's hard to tell.

"Y'know," he says, tossing it up again. "When you said 'Tomorrow, if you aren't sick anymore' before I could sit in your lap."

My heart flutters. "What else would I have meant?"

"I don't know! I just wanted to make sure you hadn't gotten the wrong idea or anything, especially since..."

"Since what?"

"Sinceyou'veseenmenaked!" he says in one breath, throwing the stuffed animal at me. I'm too stunned to catch it, so it hits me in the face.

Unfocused, I let it fall before snatching it off the ground. "I've seen you naked all the time in the showers at practice, dumbass!"

"You never _stared_ , though!"

"You weren't watching!"

Shouyou sits up and looks at me again. His silhouette is still. "You stare at me in the shower?"

"W- Well, I- Not in a perverted way! You, uh, have an athletic body!"

"'Yama, literally everybody on the team knows that I don't. Have you seen my stomach?" he asks, incredulously.

"Of course I have!"

"T-then why were you staring!?"

"Because you look hot, okay!?"

The room falls silent, and my ears buzz. _I can't believe I said that._ My face is bright red, and I can feel my ears and neck burning. It's quiet for a long minute. Not even the sounds of insects can be heard through the closed window. I listen to my heartbeat pounding, and wonder how Shouyou's sounds right now.

He speaks under his breath, but in the silence I can hear it perfectly. "...How many times is it gonna take until you stop leaving me speechless every time you say that?"

I blink, and slowly form a small smile. "Speechless?"

He throws another stuffed animal at me. "I hate being sick."

"Then hurry up and get better, Shou." I catch this one, and squint at it. _The bear_. I pick up the first one. _A lime green frog with a small frown, pink_ _cheeks_ _, and sad blue eyes._ I toss the frog back at him, but hold onto the bear.

He yelps as the frog hits his stomach. "Well I _would_ if I _could_ , 'Yama," he says. I can hear the grin in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah," I reply, holding the bear above me. Then I let my hands fall to my chest and look back at Shouyou. "You never told me what else I could've meant, though."

"Well, uh, you know..."

I sigh at him.

He continues. "Well, since you saw me naked, and then I went and tried to sit in your lap afterwards, I just... didn't know if you thought I meant... more than kissing."

"What?" I ask, confused.

"N-nothing, just forget it!" he exclaims, flailing his arms.

"Well, what else is there besides--" I stop. "Oh. OH!"

"Just shut up, Bakageyama, it's embarrassing!"

I sit up and clamber out of my blankets, falling to the floor but catching myself on my hands and knees. I scramble to my feet and move to face a shocked looking Shouyou.

"Shou, did you think I meant--"

"EYY MACARENA!"

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

_Hinata's POV_

I hear scrabbling and something falling. Shooting up with wide eyes, I watch as Kageyama frantically gets to his feet and stands in front of me. His face has a confusing expression on it, but mostly looks surprised.

My heart pounds harder and my cheeks burn hotter with every word he says.

"Shou, did you think I meant--"

"EYY MACARENA!"

His jaw drops open, and I quickly cover my face with a groan. "Did you just... say 'macarena'... to keep me from saying the word--"

"GWAH PLEASE DON'T."

"--fucking?"

My heart nearly explodes out of my chest, and I find myself making a high pitched noise in the back of my throat. I stop myself with a strangled cough. My face, neck, and ears feel as if they're on fire. But not just because of embarrassment. _How can someone so... so..._ robotic _make it_ _sound_ _so hot!?_

_Well... he did slow dance with me under fireworks with classical music playing._

Back in the present, however, I've begun making the noise again. I stop myself with yet another cough.

"N-no! Well, yes, but when you make it sound like _that--_ "

Kageyama grabs one of my flailing wrists before pressing his the palm of his other hand to my chest, kneeling.

I let out a squeak. "What're--"

He shushes me, closing his eyes. After a long moment, he opens them again, and pulls my hand to his chest as well. I refrain from speaking. _I can feel his heartbeat... It's so steady. But fast. Why fast?_

"Your heartbeat is quick, too," he says, looking up at me.

"Of course it is," I gulp.

"Why?"

"Why is yours?"

He gazes up at me. "Neither of us are ready," he says, quietly.

Relief and happiness flood through me. "I know," I say, bringing my hand up to his on my chest. Our heartbeats still match, but are a little slower.

"Feel better tomorrow, dumbass," he says, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"I will be," I grin.

"Good." He rises, hesitates, then presses his lips to the top of my head. "Goodnight, then... macarena."

"I-"

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~


	45. Sleepless Nightmares

_Kageyama's POV_

Though I said goodnight to Shouyou, I couldn't fall asleep. I was painfully aware of the time creeping steadily on towards Friday morning, but my mind whirled with overwhelmingly conflicting feelings and thoughts. I thought of my father, mostly.

Laying there in the darkness, staring up at the fuzzy ceiling and listening to Shouyou's steady breathing, I tried to imagine what life with my father would be like. I hardly remember what he was like when I was younger. It would be like living with a stranger.

_When was the last time he had a job? Is he_ _able_ _to make money? If he can, that_ _would_ _be helpful, so Miwa doesn't have to_ _try_ _so hard. If not, then... it would just be_ _another_ _mouth to feed. But he's an adult, and he said he'd take care_ _of_ _us, so it's likely he will he able to._

_My father..._ _isn't_ _a bad person. He seemed very kind, and Miwa smiled and_ _laughed_ _around him. Shouyou looked as though he liked him, too. But..._ _I_ _haven't had a father for eight years. Do_ _I_ _really need one now?_

I let out a deep sigh. _I don't know what to choose._ _I look up at Shouyou, seeing the familiar scene of his blankets rising and falling, slowly, in the light of the moon and his nightlight._

_Sometimes_ _I_ _feel more at home here than at my real home. But that's just... because everybody here is so kind, and thoughtful. And I've grown used to it. And Miwa is... Miwa. This household isn't one of my choices, though._

_How would my father react if_ _I_ _told him_ _I_ _wasn't straight? If_ _I_ _told him_ _I_ _have a boyfriend? Is he homophobic? Does he know that Miwa is a lesbian? If he does, how did he react?_

I pull out my phone without thinking to text Miwa and ask her, but then I see the time: 2:17 AM. Definitely asleep. Biting my lip, I unlock my phone anyways. However, I click on my photos instead.

The first one to pop up is of me. It catches me off guard for a moment, until I remember that Shouyou took my phone. The fireworks illuminated my face in an almost rainbow of colors. And on my face is an expression I've never seen on it before: happiness.

Sure, I've been happy, especially lately, but I wouldn't often let it show. _Does Shouyou really make it that visible?_ I scroll past a couple more of myself, almost passing the ones I took of Shouyou.

I gaze at it for a moment, then look back up at him on his bed. Another sigh escapes me. I can't stop myself from putting away my phone, pushing off my blankets, and rising to my feet. My feet slide across the floor, shoving the bear out of my way. My vision is almost too blurry to walk, but I make it to Shouyou's bedside.

I hesitate, my hand hovering above Shouyou's side. I let out a ' _It's now or nothing'_ breath, and gently shake him. He opens his eyes, blearily, and squints up at me.

"'Yama?" he yawns. His voice is tired, and it makes my ears redden.

"Sorry, I..." _Why_ did _I wake him up in the_ _first_ _place?_

"Can't sleep?" he asks, saving me from struggling with a response.

"I was just... thinking about my father."

Shouyou furrows his brow and sits up with an 'uff'. "Come here, then. You need to sleep."

"But..." I look down at the floor.

"I'm pretty much better already. I'll change my pillow cover and sheets first, if you want."

I look back up at him. "Okay... I'll do it, then."

"You get the sheets, and I'll do the pillowcase."

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

A few minutes later, we're lying on our sides, his chin on the top of my head that's pressed to his chest. His arms are wrapped around me under the warm blankets, his fingers tracing swirling patterns onto my shoulders. They're cold (I made him wash his hands and face, too), sending a shiver down my spine.

"Shou?" I say quietly into his shirt. I can hear his heartbeat.

He hums, sending vibrations through his chest. A wave of warmth, as well, is sent down to my toes.

"Th-thanks."

"Of course, 'Yama."

We lay like that for a long while. His hands occasionally drift to my hair, combing through it. My hands stay firmly on his shoulder blades, holding him close. His scent envelops me like the warmth from a _kotatsu_.

Eventually, his hands go heavy and still, and his breathing and heartbeat even out. Every time I blink, my eyelids stay shut for longer, until I finally drift off to sleep.

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

_"My son."_

_I look up, seeing the throne once again. It isn't Oikawa seated in it any longer, however. The_ _scene_ _pans out. I'm on one knee, bowing before a dark-haired man on a golden throne. Instead of the castle, though, it is_ _now_ _a large, white, gold accented room, reminiscent of the mansion._

_"Father." I watch myself say, unable to control myself. I watch as a viewpoint near the ceiling, but_ _I_ _can hear_ _everything_ _perfectly. "I have returned."_

_"Have you done what_ _I_ _asked_ _of you?" my father, the king, asks._

_A golden crown embedded with red and blue_ _jewels_ _sits upon his head. Gold rings adorn his fingers. One of his bejeweled hands clutches a staff, which he uses to hoist himself off of the throne._

_He moves to stand in front of me. Suddenly, I'm looking through my own eyes again. My father casts a dark shadow over me as_ _I_ _look up at him._

_"Yes," I say. I still cannot control it. "I have killed Kageyama Miwa, and Hinata Shouyou._

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

By the way:

A modern _kotatsu_ is a traditional Japanese table with a comforter placed between the frame and the tabletop, with a heater built into the bottom of the frame. (You may have seen one in fanart)


	46. Accidental

As usual, I awaken abruptly from my nightmare with a gasp. Enclosed in a pair of thin but strong arms, I remain laying down. I close my eyes and breath in the familiar scent. _Shouyou_. His heartbeat is rapid and uneven. His breathing is the latter, as well. I open my eyes again.

"...Shou?" I ask, quiet and hoarse. The room is brighter, but it is still early. I face away from the window, so I can't tell exactly.

He lets out a long breath, and only when he begins tracing my back again can I feel the comforting pressure of his hands. "Was it another nightmare?" he asks, shifting.

We untangle a bit so we face one another. The soft, dim light only adds to his angelic appearance. His rich, brown eyes look into mine, slightly cross-eyed from how close we are. My eyes drift down to the pillow, and I nod in response.

"Want to talk about it?"

I shake my head, after a moment of hesitation. "It was just about my father. Since I have to see him again tomorrow."

Shouyou hums, and runs his fingers through my hair. "It'll be okay."

I close my eyes, feeling the heavy tug of exhaustion drag my eyelids down, and I once again drift asleep.

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

_"Tobio."_

_Of course,_ _I_ _turn_ _to_ _the voice. The silhouette of a man, backlit by a_ _powerful_ _source_ _. No age_ _or_ _details are discernable._

_"Who are you?"_ _I_ _ask the figure, shielding my eyes._

_"Who do you want me to be?"_

_The voice is_ _devoid_ _of any personality or characteristic. It is_ _neither_ _high nor low, gruff nor reedy, accented nor bland, but it is not robotic. It_ _simply_ _is._

_"I don't know."_

_The silhouette flickers, then begins to change._

_"You always know."_

_Shouyou_ _now_ _stares up at me, unblinking._

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

"Tobio."

This time, I wake slowly. I'm still wrapped in Shouyou's arms, pressed up against his chest. I yawn, tightening my hold on his shoulders. Tears spring to my eyes, but I ignore it.

"'Yama, we should get up," he says.

I groan and curl in on myself, still clutching Shouyou. My knee brushes against something. He lets out a surprised yelp, loses his balance, and slips off the mattress.

"Shou!?"

My eyes shoot open, and I drag myself to the edge and look over, squinting against the blurriness. His legs are still partway on the mattress, though the rest of him is on the floor. His hands, for the second time, cover his groin. His cheeks are bright red, and his eyes lock with mine.

"Shou, what--"

"Um. It's fine. You just- it's fine. I'm...--"

"I didn't mean to touch--"

"It's fine, I swear--"

"It was an accident--"

Shouyou hoists himself up and smashes his mouth to mine. My eyelids flutter shut, and I let out a breath against his mouth. His lips, as soft as ever, move against mine. The touch sends electricity through me; a now familiar feeling. However, it feels like I hadn't felt it for years.

He reaches up and tugs at my sleeves, and I break away with a gasp. Only for a second, though, to slide off the bed and onto the floor in front of Shouyou. He immediately presses his lips to mine again, and sets his hands on my waist. A shiver runs down my spine, and fireworks explode wherever he touches.

_It's been_ _far_ _too long._

I drag him closer to me by the hips, making him gasp into my mouth. I can feel his eyelashes brush against my cheek. His hands roam up and down my sides, until he pulls himself into my lap.

Something touches my hip bone when he does, and he yanks himself away. He falls again, though this time from a much smaller distance. His eyes are wide and nervous, and his arms tremble where they support him from behind.

"I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for that to happen, I-" He scoots the rest of the way off, leaving me feeling unwhole. "I'm... going to go to the bathroom."

He leaves, and I am too shocked to form words. The bedroom door shuts behind him.

_Was that... what_ _I_ _think it was?_

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

When Shouyou comes back in, red faced and droopy eyed, I'm still sitting on the floor by his bed. I've moved a little, though, to lean against the mattress, knees up in front of me. I look up at him, also flushed. The room is silent for a moment. He opens his mouth, hesitantly, but I speak first.

"It's okay," I tell him, fidgeting with the carpet beneath me. "It happens. We're teenagers."

He lets out a shaky sigh of relief. "I'm still sorry, though..."

The corner of my mouth tugs up. "At least we know neither of us are straight."

He blinks, then grins sheepishly. "Can you imagine if that happened when both of us thought the other was straight? I would've... would've... GAH!"

I snort at him, feeling the embarrassment slowly leave my face. "Boke. I probably would have, I don't know, died or something."

"Same!" Shouyou laughs.

I let out a breath, hitching slightly. I rise to my feet after snatching my cracked glasses from beside my futon. "Let's get some breakfast, dumbass."


	47. Cats in Your Lap

We decide to not speak of the incident, at least until later. Mrs. Hinata insisted on making us all breakfast, since this was the last day I was saying. After watching a bit of Natsu's cartoon with her, and staring at Shouyou helping his mother in the kitchen, breakfast is served.

This time, it's more traditionally Japanese: a wooden tray with multiple small platters and bowls set upon it. The biggest bowl holds white rice. The others hold shiny eggs with a red blend of _furikake_ , some steaming grilled salmon, and a small pickled vegetable salad, among other things. A set of chopsticks are also set in the tray.

My eyes widen at the meal, and I look up at Mrs. Hinata in disbelief. I impatiently take my glasses off and try, in vain, to clean the crack in the lense.

"Th-thank you very much, Ma'am! I really could have helped you out..."

"Oh, it's no trouble. Today's your last day here, after all!" She grins at me, setting a tray for herself as Shouyou does the same. "And anyways, I love cooking! It's a passion of mine."

I shift my weight from foot to foot, then bow my head to her, mumbling thanks. Following Shouyou, I head to the livingroom to set the tray on the table in front of the sofa. Despite the traditional Japanese meals, their home still takes much inspiration from the West. I attempt to make a mental note to ask Shouyou why that is, later.

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

A flurry of breakfast-eating later (which was extremely delicious and satisfying), Shouyou and I head back to his room. It feels like there's so much left to do. My hands itch to practice with him in the backyard again, but I force myself to at least wait a while. My mind is also conflicted, mainly with my father. I force myself not to think about that right now, too.

"'Yama?"

I look up at Shouyou. I'm standing in the center of his room, and he's by his door, staring anxiously at me. "What?"

"Sorry, you were just... quiet."

"I'm trying not to think of my father." I wince at the harshness of my tone.

He doesn't seem to notice, only nods understandingly as he shuts the door. For some reason, my cheeks turn pink. "Are you _sure_ that's all? I just feel like you've been acting a little odd," he adds quickly.

"I didn't realize. I'm fine."

He furrows his brow at me, then looks away. "If you're sure," he sighs.

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

_Hinata's POV_

I flop to the carpet at Kageyama's feet on my stomach with a grunt, closing my eyes. "I wish you could stay here longer." Above me, he hums, and I hear rustling as he crouches. A finger pokes my forehead.

"Hey!" I say, opening my eyes and grinning. I reach up and pull his startled face down to mine, pressing our lips together. His cheeks are surprisingly fun to squish, but he loses his balance. He falls diagonally my stomach with his head by my opposite shoulder, causing me to yelp.

"You're- crushing- me-!" I gasp, trying to shove him off, to no avail. His glasses lay abandoned on the floor after having fallen off, and he pushes himself up with a groan. Then he turns and grins at me; a real, genuine grin, with shiny blue eyes.

It's creepy.

I tell him so.

He tackles me.

~•°•°------------------------°•°•~

I find myself sitting in Kageyama's lap facing forward. Both of us hold game controllers in our hands, though it's slightly difficult to focus on the screen when his chin is resting on my shoulder and his arms are around my waist. I manage anyways, of course getting perhaps obnoxiously enthusiastic about the game.

I lose.

"'Baka!" I exclaim, pinching one of Kageyama's legs that are on either side of me. "You won, even with a crack in your glasses!"

He snickers, and I pinch his leg again. "You're just bad at this."

"I've been playing this game for three years! How can I be bad at it!?"

"The only person you've had to compete with is Natsu, Shou."

I huff and pick up the controller again, ready to start the next round. "Yeah, well, you just started playing a _week_ ago."

"Actually, Miwa has this game, and we play it every now and then."

" _Miwa!?_ " I exclaim as I lose again. I nearly chuck the controller across the room.

"Yeah, boke."

I stick out my tongue and blow it as long as I can, sounding like a deflating balloon.

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

" _Holy fish sticks!_ " I exclaim after a while of playing a few games with Kageyama, still in his lap.

He jumps. "What!?" he asks, pausing the game.

"'Yama, what are we gonna do on Monday!?"

"What do you mean?"

"The team. Us. Are we gonna tell them?" I turn, craning my neck to look at him. He sets down his controller and takes mine, doing the same, before lifting me up by the armpits, not unlike a cat. "Ack!"

He turns me so I'm facing him, still in his lap. His hands are at his sides, propping himself up, and he's crossed his legs. I'm sitting on his thighs, legs folded on either side. I cross my arms and glare at him after getting over the shock. _How did he lift me so easily!?_

"I don't know." he says.

For a moment I think he read my mind, but then I remember I'd asked him a question. "What would happen if we did tell them?"

He pushes up his glasses, furrowing his brow. "I don't know. Some people might not be so... accepting, as others."

I nod. "So... if we _were_ going to tell someone, who would it be?"

We look at eachother. "Suga-san," we say in unison.

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_By the way:_

_Furikake_ is a Japanese seasoning blend generally used for rice. It is, however, an umbrella term for rice seasonings that include a combination of these ingredients:

  * Dried wasabi
  * Small pieces of dried and seasoned seaweed
  * Seasoned, dried, and crushed perilla leaves
  * Dried salmon crumbs
  * Dried omelette pieces
  * Roasted sesame seeds
  * Bonito fish flakes
  * Powdered matcha green tea.




	48. Bother

"But we'll tell him on Monday," Kageyama says. His glasses reflect my ceiling light as he looks up, leaning back on his hands and resting his head on my mattress.

"Don't you have his number?" I ask. I realize my arms are still crossed, so I let my hands fall, resting them on Kageyama's hips. I watch, almost with glee, when his cheeks turn a faint pink.

"Y-yes," he begins nervously. "But it'd be better to tell him face-to-face."

"Okay," I nod, smiling a little.

He looks down at me and furrows his brow. "Are you doing that on purpose?" he asks, glancing at my hands.

I grin at him. "Maybe~"

He sighs and leans up, pressing his lips to mine. I sigh as well, into his mouth, tightening my hold on his hips. His hands come up to the hair at the back of my neck, sliding them up and through my locks. I shiver and deepen the kiss, tracing his hip bones with my thumbs. My whole body feels warm, and waves of fireworks spread from everywhere we touch.

Three knocks rap against the door, making me jump. Kageyama pulls away quickly, and almost shoves me off before remembering that I locked the door.

"What?" I call after quickly steadying my breath.

"Sorry for disturbing you two! I just wanted to let you know that I'm off to spend a couple hours with Natsu's friend and her mother," my ma calls through the door.

Kageyama, after a brief pause, takes one of my hands from his hips and brings it up to his lips. He presses a kiss to my fingertips, closing his eyes. Though he tries to remain laid-back, his cheeks are bright pink. It's effective, though; my heart leaps as I open my mouth to call back to my ma.

"O-okay! You two ha-have fun!" I call with some difficulty. Kageyama moves up my hand, pressing kisses to my palm and opening his eyes to look into mine for a brief moment, before reaching my forearm.

"We will! Are you sure you're alright?" she asks. I can hear the concern in her voice.

"I-I'm fine, ma, he j-just wrestled down a min-minute ago!" I try make my voice sound frustrated.

Kisses to the thin skin on my inner forearm and my elbow, to my upper arm.

"Well alright, be safe, and call me if you need anything! I'll be back a little after lunch time!"

He moves my sleeve to press a kiss to the top of my shoulder, making me grit my teeth. "I wi-will, see you in-- see you later!"

After a minute of keeping my jaws clamped, I hear her move and walk back down the hall. All the while, Kageyama presses kisses to my shoulder and jawline, reluctantly avoiding my neck. I stay silent until I hear the front door shut and the car start. Only then to I let myself make a noise.

A long, low groan escapes my throat as I slump forward and rest my head on his shoulder. He laughs quietly by my ear, tracing patterns up and down my spine and making me shiver.

"You're gonna- gonna make things difficult again, 'Y-Yama," I mutter into his shoulder.

He hums, but stops his teasing, pushing me so I'm facing him. My cheeks are flushed, and so are his. This time _I_ sigh first, slumping forward again and pressing my lips to his for a moment. Then I fall into my earlier position, my head on his shoulder. My eyelashes drop and flutter as his scent and warmth envelop me. I'm too tired to scold him for his bothering.

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

_Chop,_ _chop_ _, chop._

_The_ _figure_ _brings his axe down on the logs over and over again. He chops them until they're small wedges. Then he leans his axe against the stump and scoops up all the wedges into his arms. The_ _figure_ _carries them to a fire, and tosses them in. The fire grows._

_He walks away, back towards the stump, and takes the handle of his axe again. This time, he ventures into the wood. He wanders for a long time before finding a good tree. And so, he lifts his axe and brings it down, slicing a gash into the stump._

_Over and over and over again._

_A few minutes later, the tree makes a loud crack and creak that sounds out through the forest. It ever so slowly leans, leans, leans, and then--_

"Hey, Shou, you should wake up."

My eyes fly open, and I lean away from the strange shape. Rubbing away the tiredness, I realize that I'd accidentally fallen asleep on Kageyama.

"Oh, uh--" I yawn, tears springing to my eyes. I wipe them away. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep..."

"Don't be," he replies raising his arms above his head and stretching with a groan. "I fell asleep, too. We stayed up late last night."

I nod, biting my lip and attempting to ignore Kageyama's exposed middle. His hands fall, and he reflexively pulls his shirt down. I let out a breath and look up at his eyes. They're slightly lidded from sleepiness, but the blue is just as bright. They look back into mine.

"How long were we asleep?" I ask, looking away quickly. He puffs out a breath and reaches into his pocket.

"About half an hour," he says, turning his phone back off. "It's eleven thirty, now."


	49. Pros, Cons, and Bacon

~•°•°----------------------°•°~

_Kageyama's POV_

"What am I going to do about my father?" I ask, half to myself, laying on my back on the carpet. I stare up at the familiar glow-in-the-dark stars on Shouyou's ceiling.

Shouyou turns to me, making his bed creak slightly.

"I don't know, 'Yama. How much have you thought about it?"

"...A lot."

Shouyou hums. "Well... Why don't you write down the pros and cons?"

"The... pros and cons?" I crane my neck to look at him, squinting through the blurriness.

"Yeah! Like, the good and bad of living with him!"

"...Okay," I say, sitting up.

He grins and rolls off the bed, then hops up to grab some paper. Before I know it, I have a pen in my hand and I'm glaring at a notebook with the word "Pros" on one side and "Cons" written on the other. _What would be... good... about living with my father?_

I glance up at Shouyou, who sits in front of me. He blinks.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

I look back down and furrow my brow. "I don't know how to write it."

"Well..." he begins, tapping his foot. "What would _change_?"

"...We'd... have another person in the house."

"Okay, so, would that be good or bad? Is there a room he can have?" he asks, flopping backwards with a grunt. He splays his arms out like a "T".

"There's a guest bedroom, and we have two bathrooms," I say, staring at the carpet. "But the house is still small. Smaller than yours."

"So that'd be a con! 'House is small'. There!" He sits back up with a grin, yanking on the carpet.

I huff and write it down after clicking my pen. I carefully write out the characters, then sigh and click my pen again. _This feels like homework._

"What now?" I ask him instead.

"Hmm..." He smushes his face into his hands. "Are you happy just living with Miwa?"

I wrinkle my nose. "I mean... yeah? She's my sister, so we argue a lot, but... she's a _good_ sister. And she scolds me like any parent."

Shouyou laughs. "So would it make you sad if there was an adult there, too?"

"I mean, I don't know. It's hard for Miwa to earn enough money, sometimes. But I like the privacy."

"Okay, then 'More money' would be a pro, and 'Less privacy' would be a con." He drags himself to his feet and goes to his bed, yanking at the blankets. His phone falls to the carpet. "What else?"

"Um..." I finish the last character. "I don't really know him. And... every time I look at him, I think of my mother. But he seems alright, and... I don't really remember having a father that well. Maybe it's not so bad."

Shouyou, having grabbed his phone, slowly sits back down in front of me. "...'Don't know him' and 'Mom'... cons? And... 'Seems nice' and 'Having a father', pros," he says, tentatively.

I nod, blinking, and get to writing them down. A minute later, I have four cons and three pros. I look up at Shouyou, fidgeting with the pen grip.

He squints down at the paper. "Okay... anything else that'd be good? Or bad?"

I think for a long moment. "I... don't know if he's homophobic. Or knows about Miwa."

"Miwa?" Shouyou asks.

 _Shit! He didn't know._ I sigh. I may as well tell him now.

"She's... a lesbian," I tell him. "I found out Monday."

"Hey, that's super cool! Wait, but you don't know if your father knows?" Shouyou asks, tracing his finger along the edge of his phone case.

"Yeah. What if it turns out he hates that or something? I... I wouldn't be able to live like that."

Shouyou nods silently, and I hunch back over the notebook to write it down. Five cons, three pros. He looks at the list and bites his lip.

"Do you want lunch?" he asks, suddenly.

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

"Why am _I_ the one cooking when _you_ offered lunch?" I ask him with a sigh. I crack an egg into a pan.

"You offered!" Shouyou exclaims, setting down his phone.

"I did not!"

"Did, too!"

I groan, cracking another couple eggs in and sprinkling on salt and pepper. "At least go make some toast."

He slides off the stool with a drawn-out sign, and yanks the bread off the counter. He grumbles at the toaster as he drops in slices of bread.

"And get the bacon."

" _Ugh!_ "

A few minutes later, he's sitting at the stool with his chin on the counter, glaring at me. "Why're we even having _breakfast_ for _lunch_?"

"If you don't like it, you can eat dirt."

He sticks his tongue out at me. "Of course I'll like it."

My cheeks redden and I turn around to glare at the pan, clutching the spatula tightly. _If_ _I_ _were wearing my glasses, they would've_ _gotten_ _all_ _steamy._ Behind me, Shouyou starts humming. I now know the story behind the song, and it makes my heart clench.

"Should we tell my ma?"

I choke on my spit, quickly turning away from the pan to cough into the crook of my arm. "Y-your _mother_?"

"Well, why not?"

"I-I don't know... What if--"

"I've already told her I'm bi, and I'm pretty sure she knows you're not straight," he interrupts.

"I- Oh. She does?" I ask, glancing over my shoulder at him.

He shrugs.

I turn back to the pan, pushing the bacon around. "Well... Miwa knows about us."

"She does!? Since when!?"

"Since Monday. Get out plates or whatever," I add, turning off the stove.

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

_By the way:_

_Bacon is gross._

_Also, written Japanese is a combination of three different "alphabets": Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana._

_Kanji are Chinese characters adopted into the Japanese alphabet. It is used for writing nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs._

_Hiragana and Katakana were developed from short-hand Kanji. Katakana is usually used to write foreign or imported words. Hiragana is used to write grammatical functions such as verb inflections (-s, -ed, etc.) and particles (to, and, but, oh, wow, etc.)._


	50. Deep Breaths

"Hey, Shou, I've been meaning to ask..." Shouyou looks up at me from his plate. All that's left on it is a half-eaten strip of bacon. "Why is your place so... Western?"

"Oh," he starts. "My dad was American. He loved the mixture of cultures."

I blink and set down my fork. "Really?"

"Yep! Well, he was Japanese, but born and raised in America by his parents. They and my dad moved back to Japan because they had relatives here." Shouyou hands me his bacon, making a face.

"Why'd they move to America in the first place?" I ask him, taking the bacon and nibbling it absentmindedly.

His face turns a little pink, and he looks away, tucking his legs under him on the couch. "I don't know, probably work or something."

"Oh." I finish eating. "If you don't mind me asking... How did he... die?"

He turns and smiles a little at me. "Everyone assumes it was cancer, because he had it once when he was in high school, back in America. But luckily it never came back after that."

I bring my legs up as well, sitting cross-legged. "So..."

"He was passing an alleyway on his way to some music shop or something, and I guess there was a dog with rabies in there. It jumped out and bit his leg. People saw and took him to the hospital, where they amputated his leg. He just didn't survive the surgery; something went wrong, all that. Ma was pregnant at the time." Shouyou stares at his hands in his lap.

"I'm sorry." This time, the words don't get caught in my throat. I look at him as he looks up into my eyes. His are watery.

"Thanks," he says, quietly.

I lift my arms, hesitantly. A tear spills out of his eye, and he crawls into my arms with a strangled sob. My eyes sting, too, as I hold him. He buries his head into my chest, hiccupping and dampening my shirt. His small hands clutch the fabric at my back.

I bite my lip and rub his back, letting out a shuddering breath. His legs wrap around one of my thighs, anchoring himself. One of my hands buries itself in his hair as I attempt to soothe him.

"I'm sorry," I whisper above his head. "I'm sorry."

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

_Mrs. Hinata's POV_

"We're back!" Natsu shouts after opening the front door.

I smile to myself and step through the door as well, shutting and locking it behind me. I hang my coat and keys on the rack by the door, and make my way down the hall to the livingroom. Natsu is in her room already.

When I see the couch, I pause, a small smile spreading across my face. My little Shouyou is curled up in his boyfriend's arms. Any doubts I had of them being happy together vanish. Chuckling a little, I take their plates from the table to the kitchen counter.

_Cute_.

~•°•°------------------------°•°•~

_Kageyama's POV_

_"Another bad dream?" a voice asks._

_I jerk my head up, breathing hard. My mother is kneeling at my bedside, eyebrows scrunched. She's beautiful, like a pale angel. I nod, trembling, tears still running down my face._

_"Focus on my voice, Tobio. Look around you, and find five things you can see. Okay? Look at their colors, their shapes. Good, you're okay, try to take deeep breaths. Now, four things you can touch. Think about what they feel like. You're okay, Tobio, it's okay now._

_"Can you find three things you can hear? Memorize what they sound like. Listen closely. Hush, hush, quiet your breathing so you can hear. You're okay now, I promise._

_"Do you see two things you can smell? Breath in deeply, slowly. Focus on the scents. You're doing wonderfully, see? Your breathing is nice and calm._

_"Now, one thing you can taste. What about this glass of water? Take a deeep gulp, and focus on how it tastes. There you go, little Tobio. You're okay."_

_~°•°•--------------------------°•°•~_

_Hinata's POV_

I wake up with a groan. Kageyama's familiar arms are wrapped around me, and his chin is on the top of my head. His heart beats against my chest, and I feel his breathing as well. I could almost fall asleep, my eyes drooping again.

Kageyama shifts, though, his breath shuddering. I can't see anything with my face buried in his shirt, but I feel his arms tighten around me. My leg starts to fall asleep.

"'Yama." No response.

I wriggle a little, take my off him and draw them in front of myself, trying to shove his shoulders. He groans and lifts his head, loosening his arms.

"...Shou?" He asks, hoarse. His voice rumbles against my chest.

"My leg's asleep, Bakageyama."

He snorts and untangles himself. I do the same, pushing myself off him, wincing at the pins and needles.

"What time is it?" he asks, stretching. His voice makes my heart flutter.

"Um." I stand fully, and pull out my phone. "One fifty."

He nods and looks around, before freezing. "Oh, Mrs. Hinata, you're back."

My eyes widen as I turn to the bookcase. Ma is sitting in the chair there, holding a book and grinning crookedly at us.

"Have a good rest?" she asks us.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

Kageyama, Ma, Natsu, and I are all kneeling in a circle on the livingroom floor.

"So you _did_ know all along!" I exclaim.

"Of course I did!" Ma laughs. "How could I not?"

"Does that mean I'm allowed to call him 'Shouyou's boyfriend' now instead of 'new friend'?" Natsu asks, looking at Ma.

"Well--"

Kageyama, kneeling beside me, splutters. "You knew, too?" he asks her.

Natsu nods at him, grinning, and Ma laughs.

"And you're... okay with that?" I ask.

Ma's grin becomes a smile as she turns to me. "Of course I am, Shouyou. Kageyama seems like a great boy."

I smile at her, and Kageyama looks down at his hands, smiling softly as well. "He is!"

Natsu kicks my foot. "Stop being all lovey-dovey!"

"Hey!"

Ma laughs again. "Just be safe, you two. And Kageyama, though I know you're a great kid, that doesn't let you off the hook, so you better treat little Shouyou well!"

My face flushes, and I'm pretty sure Kageyama's does as well.

"I-I will, Mrs. Hinata! I won't let you down!"

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Oikawa's POV_

I frown at the bowl of ice cream in front of me.

"What?" Iwa-chan asks, lifting a spoonful of his own to his mouth.

"I feel like something good just happened to Tobio-chan and his little boyfriend..." I grumble, stabbing a spoon into the creaminess.

"Trashykawa."

"Don't call me that!"

"Crappykawa."

"Or that!"

"Shittykawa."

"Iwa-chan, so _mean_!" I whine, slumping down into my chair.


	51. Walk it Off

_Kageyama's POV_

"I _told_ you she'd be alright with it!" Shouyou grins as we step outside.

The slight breeze prompts me to shove my hands into my white sweatshirt's pockets. Our feet crunch on the ground as we make our way down the path and into the street. Shouyou had managed to convince me to let him drag me to some sort of trail he knew. The only reason I agreed was because he promised to practice spiking in his backyard afterwards.

"Yeah, yeah," I sigh. "I just hope it goes that well with the team, if we do tell them."

Shouyou looks down at the road for a moment. "Hey, uh, that reminds me..." He bumps his shoulder against my arm. "Y'know when we went to the volleyball museum? And the Grand King, Iwaizumi-san, rooster head, and Kenma were there, too?"

"Yeah?" I push up my cracked glasses. The sun puts a glare on the lenses, making me wince.

"Well, Kenma dragged me away to talk to me at one point, before we went in... He asked me when you and I first got together. He knew! Just by looking at us! And he's my friend, so... I told him. I'm really sorry, I hope you're not mad or anything! He was totally fine with it and even said he recently got together with Kuroo-san!" he says nervously, looking at me and holding his hands up in defense.

My first instinct is to be mad at him, but I furrow my brow and shake my head. "He already knew, anyways. You should've told me, though." A squirrel darts up a tree in a yard near us.

Shouyou lets out a long breath, shoulders relaxing. "I forgot, I'm sorry."

We've reached a dirt path that leads off of the street. Trees provide a canopy, since the path runs through the forest. I hear birds calling, and the soft rustling of some other small animal. We step in.

I reach out and grip his head on instinct.

He thrashes around, trying to pry off my hands. " _Ow, ow, ow, ow--_ "

"That's for saying sorry, boke," I tell him, before relaxing my hold. My fingers slip into his hair, and he lets out another breath, this one softer.

He pauses his footsteps, and turns to me. Hand still in his hair, I do the same. "This is what I wanted to show you," he whispers.

It feels as if we've transported to a new world. The leaves above sway and rustle in the soft breeze. Flowers, mushrooms, and rich green grass line the worn path. Golden light filters down between the branches, no longer casting a glare on my glasses.

Birds soar overhead, leaping from branch to branch with whistles and squawks. Squirrels do the same, chirr-ing and squeaking. A ladybug flutters onto my sleeve for a moment, then flies away again. My fingers trail down to the back of Shouyou's neck as I look around in wonder.

I look back down at him, smiling softly. He studies my face, a smile slowly spreading across his, as well. His orange hair is vivid, but almost seems to fit in with the scenery.

"It's..." I struggle to find the right words. "It reminds me of you."

He blinks in surprise, then grins. "Everything reminds me of _you_ ," he says, bringing his hand up to cup mine at his neck.

"Me too."

Shouyou's lips come up to press against mine. I groan softly into his mouth as his hands come up to grip the back of my sweatshirt. I have to hunch slightly to reach him, but it's definitely worth it. His mouth works against mine, breathing hard, and he tilts his head a little.

I will never grow tired of the electricity that jumps through me everywhere he touches. I will never grow tired, either, of the warmth that fills me from head to toe. Nor of the way he makes my heart skip and pound, or my brain feel like mush, or my stomach feel like butterflies.

I will never grow tired of Shouyou.

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

"Take a picture!" he calls, a little while later. His hair is more fluffy than usual.

I look up at him. He's standing on a massive boulder, hands on his hips and staring down at me. My heart tightens at the height.

"I'll take one," I call. "But then get down from there!"

"Okay, okay."

I pull out my phone and hold it up, aiming the camera. Shouyou grins as big as he can, and I take a photo or two. Then I shove it back in my pocket.

"Alright, now get down here, _carefully_."

I move towards the side he's attempting to climb down, readying myself in case he needs help getting down.

"Catch!"

Before I can blink, he jumps, flying into my open arms. I let out a gasp, instinctually holding onto him, tightly. If he was any heavier, I probably would have either fallen over or dropped him. He wraps his arms and legs around me, laughing evilly.

"D-d-dumbass!!" I shout, clutching at him.

"You caught me!"

"Of course I did, you _threw yourself at me_!"

He laughs, pressing a short but sweet kiss to my protesting mouth. "Thanks."

"Hmph."

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

"My feet hurt," Shouyou complains as we make our way back.

"Too bad. You promised we'd practice."

He furrows his brow, conflicted between practicing his spike and resting his legs. " _Fine._ "

The corner of my mouth twitches. Shouyou walks in front of me on the sidewalk, hands darting around in the air, playing the tune he hums. His orange hair bounces and shines with every step he takes in the 3 o'clock sunlight.

We pass houses and trees around us, and Shouyou skips over every crack and root as if he knows them by heart. I, on the other hand, stumble over most of them. We pass the tree I'd seen the squirrel running up on our way there, but it's quiet this time.

I readjust my glasses and shove my hands back into my pockets. Looking down the street, I realize with a grin that I don't have to do anything to peer over his head.

"Shorty."

"Wha- Hey!"


	52. Cats, Again

I tossed up the ball, then spiked it at Shouyou. Gritting his teeth, he readied his stance... and the ball hit his hand, sending it bouncing away. Shouyou groans. I massage the bridge of my nose with one hand, bare of my glasses to prevent any more injury, and point at the ball with the other.

"We've been practicing for _hours_ ," he complains, dragging his feet as he retrieves the ball.

"It's only 5:30," I tell him after glancing at my phone. "Dinner won't be ready for at least another half an hour. And you still need to get better at receiving."

He groans again and shuffles back into position, tossing the ball back at me. I catch it and think for a moment, staring at the ground.

"How come you're so good catching and tossing even when you can't see?"

I look back up at his unsurprisingly blurry figure. "I can see something coming at me just fine. And as long as you don't move from that spot, I can toss to you. Any inaccuracy will be extra challenge for you to receive."

"Oh." Shouyou's blurry head appears to be staring at the ground.

"Hey," I say, and toss the ball.

He yelps again and quickly assumes position. It strikes his forearms... but bounces up and hits his head on the way back down.

" _Ugh_!"

~•°•°------------------------°•°•~

"Thank you for cooking," I say to Mrs. Hinata as I clutch my plate.

It's piled high with what appears to be a Western meal: mashed potatoes with the red skins, spicy pickled cabbage and carrots, and brown lumps of sausage. It smells much better than it looks. I furrow my brow at the possible difficulty of eating the potatoes with chopsticks.

Mrs. Hinata laughs at my expression. "It's no trouble at all!"

I bow my head to her and turn away from the island, looking for Shouyou. He's sitting on the floor by the bookcase, trying to talk to Natsu and eat at the same time. I shake my head and immediately regret it; my hands are not free to adjust my glasses. I huff and quickly make my way to the orange-heads.

As I carefully kneel, Shouyou turns to me and notices my slipping glasses and growing discomfort. He lifts a hand and pushes them back up for me. Sighing in relief, I mutter a quiet thanks.

Natsu makes a gagging sound. " _Nerds._ "

Shouyou scoffs and pokes the top of her head, both of them laughing. I can't help but smile a little as I start attempting to eat dinner. It isn't as difficult to eat the potatoes as I first worried; it's about the same as eating rice.

Natsu, having somehow already finished eating, chatters on about a book she's reading. I half listen. The other half of me is focused on the fact that this is the last night I'll spend here for a while.

_This place... is like home to me. Better than home, in some ways. I wouldn't trade it for living with Miwa, though. But_ _this_ _is a second_ _family_ _for me. They're so different, but so welcoming and kind. And, of course, Shouyou is here. But I'm lucky enough to see him almost_ _every_ _day._

I smile to myself, halfway finished eating.

"Why're you making your creepy face..?" Shouyou asks.

I whip my head up to glare at him, opening my mouth.

~•°•°-------------------------°•°•~

"What _were_ you thinking about?" Shouyou asks, behind me.

We face away from each other, changing into our pajamas. We've done this a couple nights, but Shouyou mostly changed in the bathroom after showering. He'd already showered today, though, after practice before dinner.

"...You."

"Then why was your face so scary!?"

I whip my head around, glaring again, but stop short. He's still facing away from me, but he's in only pants, hiking them up and pulling on a string to draw the waist around himself. His skin is pale and smooth. I've seen him _naked_ before, but... The only blemish is a short, thin scar on the right side of his lower back. Without thinking, I reach out and brush my fingers on it.

"Wha-!" Shouyou turns around, startled and clutching a white t-shirt.

I jerk my hand away, flushing. "Sorry, I-I just hadn't noticed that scar before."

I suddenly feel self-conscious about my own bare torso, and snatch my black sweatshirt off the ground with a huff. Shouyou's face goes red, and he quickly turns away to finish putting his own shirt on. I pull the sweatshirt over my head with a grunt, and fix my hair once it's on all the way.

When I look back up, Shouyou's staring at me, now fully clothed. He looks away again.

"Well, uh. Oh. The scar. Right."

I flick his forehead as I pass him on my way to his bed.

"Ouch!"

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," I say, ignoring his yelp and sitting on the mattress.

Shouyou grumbles and shuffles over, sitting beside me. He flops to the side, his head landing in my lap. My hand automatically comes up to bury itself in his hair. He looks up at me and puffs out his cheeks. My cheeks turn pink, and I look away, embarrassed. He grins up at me.

"I got scratched up by a cat a few years ago," he says, giggling a little.

"A cat."

"Yup! I also have some scars on my legs and hips, if you want to--"

" _It's okay!_ " I interrupt, my ears tingling hotter.

"Yeah, yeah," he laughs. "Anyways, it's because I wasn't nice to that cat. So I try to be extra nice to all the animals I see!"

I blink down at him as he reaches up and fidgets with my hoodie strings. "That's really..."

"Lame?"

"Wholesome," I finish.

He turns a little pink and looks at the ceiling. "Not really..."

"You try to be nice to cats because one beat you up because you weren't nice to it. That's wholesome."

"Not the 'cat beat me up' part!"

"Especially that part."

"Wha--!"


	53. Mint and Cinnamon

"Would your mother mind if I came over again someday?" I ask quietly.

I stare up at the darkness for what feels like the hundredth time. It's different, somehow, now that this is my last night here. Shouyou is laying half on top of me, clinging to my side with his nose buried in the crook of my neck. My other arm is crossed over my stomach to rest my hand on his elbow.

"She loves having you here," he murmurs. His hair tickles my ear.

"Really?"

"Of course she does. I do."

I let out a breath. Bits of Shouyou's hair go flying in the moonlight shining through the window. It floats, then slowly sinks down onto our blanket.

"Okay."

Shouyou's hands tighten on my arm for a moment. "It feels like a lifetime ago," he says quietly.

"Since the Friday?" I ask, looking back up at the ceiling. I already know the answer.

"Yeah. So much has happened."

I suddenly think of my father. "I still don't know what to decide."

Shouyou stills for a moment. I can almost feel his heartbeat on my upper arm. _So small._

"You'll know what to do once you get there. Do you want me to come with?" His voice is so soft.

I blink. "Only if you want to."

"I do want to."

My heart swells, bringing tears to my eyes. I sit myself up, ignoring Shoutou protests. I move so I'm on my side facing him, and immediately draw him closer to me. He lets out a surprised noise, but wraps his arms around me again.

"Are you okay?" he asks, softly.

"Yeah," I reply. Then I take a breath. "Th-thank you."

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_"Why do you always look_ _so_ _scary? Huh!?"_

_I look up from the small ball in my hands. The sand in the box makes my legs itch, but_ _I_ _stay still. The boy standing_ _over_ _me has two others behind him. They're all_ _laughing_ _at me._

_"You're so_ _creepy_ _. Nobody_ _likes_ _you. Why don't you ever talk!?"_

_My eyes and nose and ears and_ _everything_ _burns. I stand up, trembling. The middle boy snorts._

_"_ _Oh_ _, he's_ _shaking_ _, look at him, he's_ _scared!_ _" They_ _laugh_ _and jeer._

_I throw_ _the_ _ball as hard as_ _I_ _can at_ _the_ _middle_ _boy. It hits him square in the nose. He_ _blinks_ _, tears_ _streaming_ _down his face. A drop of_ _blood_ _slowly drips out of his nostril. He looks back up at_ _me_ _, ghostly white. The others look the same._

_I blink, and they vanish, the word "Freak" echoing around me._

_I'm much taller, now. I stand in the doorway of the Karasuno Volleyball Club. Taking a deep breath,_ _I_ _step in. The familiar feel of a gym contrasts with the unfamiliarity of the_ _school_ _. I set my bag and jacket down and pick up a volleyball, feeling it in my hands._

_A few minutes later, as I'm spiking, the gym door slams open._

_"_ _YOU'RE_ _HERE!?"_

_I whip around and see a_ _short_ _kid_ _with_ _violently orange hair and an equally violent expression. I furrow my brow. A flicker of recognition, but_ _I_ _can't pin it down._

_"Who're you?"_

_Shock, anger,_ _explanation_ _, realization, confusion, frustration._

_The gym fades away._

I wake, and my eyes blink open. The blankets are warm, but my arms are empty. I raise my head, groggy but concerned, trying to shake the dream from my head. Shouyou isn't beside me or, I realize as I look around, anywhere in the room.

A sliver of light suddenly shines through the door. I hadn't noticed in the dark and blurriness that it was open. I sit up, sleepily. A silhouette appears before the light turns off, making my heart pound. Then the door opens all the way.

"Shouyou?" I whisper, voice cracking from sleep.

"'Yama? Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you; I had to go to the bathroom," he whispers back.

I can see him clearer in the moonlight now: short, thin, and bright orange. I reach out to him without thinking. He sucks in a quick breath and finishes crossing the room, before taking my hand in his.

"You didn't, it was just..."

"Another nightmare?"

I nod, looking back up at him from our hands. "I-I'm okay, you just... startled me."

"'M sorry," he says again, softly. "Here, scoot over."

At the movement of his head, I do as he asks, giving him room. I have to take back my hand to do so, but as soon as Shouyou lays back down, he takes it again. We lie there, facing eachother. My eyelids begin to droop under his gaze.

As I slowly drift back to sleep, lulled by the warmth emanating from his small body beside me under the blanket, he presses a small kiss to my forehead.

_It's so strange to be cared for like this. It's almost terrifying. I'm so_ _used_ _to being alone,_ _and_ _this is all so new. Shouyou is so affectionate... all_ _I_ _can do is try my_ _best_ _to_ _make_ _him happy, too. But emotions are so abstract and incalculable._

_I only hope that he'll be patient with me._

_Isn't_ _he_ _already? He holds me as_ _I_ _hold him, explains what_ _I_ _don't understand, and knows what_ _I_ _do understand. We nearly always know what the other is thinking... Maybe it won't_ _be_ _as difficult as_ _I_ _fear._

My mind is far too exhausted to carry on this train of thought. With the last of my quickly draining strength and consciousness, I squeeze Shouyou's hand in response to the kiss. His soft breaths wash over me, filling my empty head with the scent of mint and cinnamon.


	54. Explore in Your Sleep

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~  
 _Hinata's POV_

I find myself awake and staring at a floating piece of fuzz, ever so slowly drifting down to the bed. My vision refocuses and locks onto my boyfriend, lying in bed beside me, holding my hand in his sleep. _He looks so peaceful. He was so exhausted last night, the only thing he could do was squeeze my hand as he_ _drifted_ _to sleep. It's hard to imagine that, when he's awake, he_ _can_ _be a bit scary._

His soft breaths waft across my hair, making it flutter slightly. The blanket on top of us is a comforting weight that accompanies the feeling of Tobio's hand in mine. Warmth spreads through my body as I slowly smile at the sight. His face, asleep and relaxed, looks almost childlike. All the harsh edges are smoothed away, leaving only lightly tanned skin, dark bluish hair, and fluttering eyelashes.

The early morning sunlight filters in. His exhaustion the night before explains why he isn't awake yet, though he probably will be, soon. He'll also be leaving soon. Though I'll probably be going with him to his father's mansion later, and I see him at volleyball practice every day, _and_ he'll be able to come over sometimes, I still feel a hollow pang in my chest.

I bite my lip. _I don't want to accidentally wake him, but..._

I carefully remove my hand from his, and slide closer to him. He shifts in his sleep, making me hesitate before wrapping my arms around him. I feel his breath hitch as he wakes up and stiffens at my touch. In a moment, though, he relaxes, and holds me close as well. He rests his chin on the top of my head and lets out a quiet, contended sigh.

We adjust our legs so mine are wrapped around one of his that's between my thighs. The feeling of clinging onto something so warm and soothing gives me the same comfort that clutching stuffed animals as a child did, and sometimes still does. He carefully fixes our blankets, pulling them up to my neck.

_I'm gonna miss this when he leaves, all the way until the next time we're alone together._

Not wanting to break the silence, I bury my head just a little deeper into his chest. The hand not under his head rubs patterns on my back, soothing me. I let out a soft sigh of my own.

_I want this_ _moment_ _to last forever._

Or maybe I wish I had a billion moments just like this one, all with the boy in my arms. Correction: "hope I have".

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

We lay like that for a long time. It goes by far too fast.

"Shou," Kageyama begins, softly. The sound seems out of place, but my name on his lips makes me shiver, regardless. I hum, softly, into his chest. "My sister will be coming to pick us up, soon."

I scrunch up my brow, letting out a soft sigh. "Us?"

"Unless you've changed your mind."

"No," I reassure him, too tired to form more than a few words. "'Needa talk to ma."

"You have to get up to do that."

I grow still, then tighten my arms around him. He takes his arms from my back and carefully takes my wrist, prying me away. I groan at the light, no longer shielded by his chest. Once we're untangled, at least our upper halves, he puts a hand under my chin. I shiver again, and look at him.

Kageyama's sleepy blue eyes gaze into mine. A tingle starts at the base of my spine. Then they close with a gulp as he leans forward. Our heads tilt when our lips lock, and my eyes shut as well. A wonderfully warm feeling floods through me, and his hand moves from my jaw to the back of my neck.

A sound like a groan is pulled from my throat, caught in Kageyama's mouth. My face flushes, and my hand slides up his arm, coming to a rest at his shoulder, gripping tightly. He presses his mouth to mine harder, and the tingling in my spine grows. My stomach flutters and my heart skips and _oh!_ his hand on my neck, tracing patterns, makes me feel on fire.

I trail my hand up, past his shoulder, fingers tracing lightly along his jaw before burying themselves in his hair. _This isn't a goodbye_ , I think to myself, swirling locks with my fingertips. _It's more_ _like_ _a 'hello'._

Kageyama's tongue traces the seam of my lips, and I groan again, tightening my hand in his hair slightly. He pulls away quickly, eyes flying open.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you--"

"You didn't, you just startled me, now _please_ keep kissing me," I plead, running my hand through his hair.

In the moment before he leans forward again, I see him. Tobio's hair is ruffled and messy, something I hardly saw but wish I could more often. His cheeks are flushed, eyes bright and dark at the same time, and his lips are-- pressing back against mine.

Our eyes fall shut again and, after a moment, his tongue traces my lips again. This time, neither of us pull away. With a shiver, I part them, and his breath hitches before he carefully begins to explore. My legs tighten, still wrapped around one of Kageyama's, and I let myself explore his mouth, too.

Somebody knocks on the door, rather loudly. I jump, eyes flying open, and pull away from Kageyama with a _pop_ and a quiet " _Gwah!_ ". "Little brother! You still asleep at 10 in the morning!?"

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

"Miwa?" Kageyama yawns, opening the door. His hair is now considerably more smoothed down, though he can't help the state of his mildly bruised lips. Which I am not staring at. "I didn't realize you were coming so early."

"I texted!" Miwa says, eyebrows flying up. She stands in the doorway, arms crossed. She's got on a red and white striped crop-top, ripped black jeans, and black Dr. Martens.

"I... I was asleep..."


	55. Huff and Puff

Kageyama's getting his stuff from my room while I sit on my bed and watch, making sure he doesn't forget anything. It isn't actually all that much, and most of it is already in his bag. He notices my hoodie still in it, and looks at me, slightly pink. I grin and hop down, taking it from him.

"Stop looking so disappointed," I tell him. "Just give me a second."

Redder, he looks away, furrowing hie brow. I toss the hoodie into the laundry basket. Then I start pulling off the black one I'm currently wearing.

"Wha- Hey! What're you doing, dumbass!?"

My arms and head refuse to be free from the clothing. I stand there, midriff showing, and feeling a bit like I'm handcuffed. My laughter is muffled. I hear a groan as Kageyama rises to his feet and stumbles over to help me out.

He holds onto the hem of my shirt as I wriggle out of the hoodie the rest of the way, giggling quietly. Finally, I'm free.

"Thanks, 'Yama," I grin at him.

His hands linger at my waist, before backing away, red faced. I hold the sweatshirt out to him, which he glances at warily.

"What?" he asks, hesitantly lifting a hand.

"This one'll smell more like me."

Kageyama snatches the hoodie and turns away, quickly, but not before I watch his face flood with color. He huffs and kneels, stuffing it into his bag. I laugh at him, then crouch at his side before being hit in the face with fabric.

"Hey!" I exclaim, falling backwards.

By the time I sort myself out, holding the offending clothing, Kageyama is walking out of my bedroom door. He slings his bag over his shoulder as he does, holding his phone and glasses in his other hand. I look down, slowly rising to my feet, at what I now realize is one of the sweatshirts -- a blueish one -- he wore this week.

I smile, cheeks pink, and gently lay it on my pillow. Then I turn and follow Kageyama.

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_Kageyama's POV_

Trying to clear my mind, I take in slow breaths as I maneuver myself down the hall. Natsu hops out of her room and trails behind me, chattering away. Her youthful, and just the smallest bit sad, voice bids me goodbye, even if she doesn't say it outright.

I'm still not used to a little kid not being scared of my face.

Miwa and Mrs. Hinata stand in the kitchen, talking about something or another. At least, that's who I assume is there. I hold my glasses in one hand, too exasperated by the crack in the lense to wear them.

"'Yama!" Shouyou calls from behind me, quickly catching up. I turn around, turning slightly pink again. He says nothing, just gestures at the two adults across the room.

"I know. Come on." I lead us to the counter, and look up at Miwa, waiting.

"Ah, Tobio! And your-- friend!" We all notice the slight slip, but say nothing. "Ready to go?"

"Can he come with, again? If it's okay with both of you, I mean. I know we'll have to drive him back..." I shift my weight onto my other foot, trying and failing to meet Miwa's gaze.

She turns to Mrs. Hinata, quirking a brow.

"Well... May as well!" she smiles. "It may be a while until young Tobio comes back over, and if he has to go all the way to see his father again; he wants company!"

I nearly tear up, but steel myself in time. "Thank you very much, ma'am." I bow my head, smiling slightly, listening to Shouyou cheer beside me.

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

Of course, Shouyou is asleep, drooling on my right shoulder. I'm struck with déjà-vu as I look away from the world flying by outside my window to lock eyes with Miwa in the rearview mirror. I put on my glasses when we left, so I didn't get paranoid not being able to see outside the car clearly.

Miwa grins at me in the mirror, then returns her focus to the road, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the song playing through the speakers. I don't recognize it, but she seems to.

I grip the edge of my seat in an attempt to calm my rapid heart, but to no avail. _Stupid Shouyou. He does_ _this_ _to me without_ _even_ _needing to be awake._ I turn my head to the right slightly, looking down at him from the corner of my eye. His head is slumped forward a bit, so his eyes and mouth are hidden. But I see the tip of his nose, and his eyelashes, poking out from under his mess of orange hair.

The car hits a speed bump or something similar, causing it to jolt. Shouyou awakens with a start, nearly falling forwards. I catch myself holding my left hand out in front of him, unable to move my right. I return it to my side with a small cough.

"Sorry."

"What're you sorry for?" he asks, grinning up at me.

Lines from where he was pressed to my shoulder are indented on his pink cheek, and his hair sticks up in even weirder directions than normal. His eyes, though still sleepy, are bright and brown. I almost say 'Nothing', but the word catches in my throat and I look away.

"You drooled on me."

"I did- I did not!" he exclaims.

I huff, glancing at Miwa again. Her eyes flit away, but not fast enough. I glare at the back of her head, and can practically _see_ her grin. Something touches my hand, and I nearly leap out of my skin. Whipping around, I see Shouyou looking at me with raised eyebrows and an amused expression, hand hovering by mine on the seat.

I blink at his hand, and relax my grip on the seat with a sigh. I avoid looking at his bright smile, sure I'd have a heart attack if I didn't. His warm hand settles over mine, enclosing it and threading his fingers between mine. _Soft_ _. Warm._

I close my eyes, leaning back against the headrest on my seat. _Shouyou._


	56. Angels and Gold

_"Why are you always here?" I ask Shouyou._

_He glances_ _sideways_ _(upwards) at me, but stays at my side as we walk. The concrete scrapes against the bottom of my shoe._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"You're always... here. At my side, in my head, always."_

_He looks completely at me, this time, but even then we don't stop walking. His face wears a huge grin._

_"In your head?"_

_"Well. Yeah. I'm always thinking of you. And dreaming of you._ _And_ _I_ _can hear you teasing me_ _whenever_ _I_ _do_ _something_ _stupid, but_ _I_ _know you'd do the same thing."_

_"Hey,_ _stop_ _insulting 'Kageyama's brain boyfriend'!" He_ _shoves_ _my shoulder a little._

_I'd_ _shove_ _him back, but we're beside the road. We_ _keep_ _walking, even when a black cat darts out from an alleyway, freezing_ _when_ _it sees us. It seems to_ _stop_ _moving entirely, becoming semitransparent, and_ _we_ _walk_ _right through it as if it were_ _simply_ _air._

_We're in Shouyou's room. When_ _I_ _breathe, my_ _nose_ _is filled with the_ _scent_ _of him._ _Something_ _tickles the inside of my nose. I furrow my_ _brow_ _, realizing_ _I_ _can't open my eyes. The tickling feeling grows worse. Something_ _soft_ _is pressing into my cheek. Something--_

I jump, suddenly awake, as we bump over something in the road. Shouyou yelps, then groans. I look over at him, squinting. My glasses must have fallen off while I was asleep. My shoulder feels cold; Shouyou was leaning on it again, probably asleep for the second time.

Our hands are still linked together. His face has lines and pink blotches like last time, but his eyes are a little less sleepy. His hair is squished, now, instead of sticking up. I bring my free hand up to my face, rubbing where I'd been resting on. _Was_ _I_ _leaning_ _on_ _the_ _top of Shouyou's head?_

With his own free hand, he presses lightly on his jaw, teary-eyed.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

He looks up at me, and his eyes clear and brighten, though he winces when he presses a spot on his jaw under his ear. "You bonked my jaw when you woke up! But I'm fine," he grins. He winces again.

I furrow my brow, still squinting. I glance at our hands and, regretfully, pull mine out of Shouyou's so I can look for my glasses. After a moment, I find them on the seat between us. Shoving them on, I look back up at him, blinking and squinting at his jaw.

It's red where I hit it, but doesn't look too bad; at least, for now. I look back up into his eyes, grimacing.

"Sorry..."

"Stop saying sorry," he sighs, exasperated. He reaches for me.

"Alright, boys, I hope you two've taken enough naps. We're here!" Miwa grins, but her voice sounds just a little strained.

I can't blame her. I look down at my knees, still wondering what I'm going to say to my father, and what I'll decide. I bite my lip and glance back up at Shouyou, who was shifting in my peripheral vision. His hand is on his seatbelt, and he peers out the window as we round the corner, pulling into the lot.

The light always illuminates his hair, bright and orange and beautiful. At midday, when the sun is at its brightest, I can look at him and see the embodiment of summer. I see the sun boring down with heat and light, the vivid green leaves, and brightly colored clothes. I hear the wind rustling the branches, children laughing and babbling on and on about their latest obsession, and _music_.

It's hard for me to accept that he's human, just like I am. It seems impossible. Even now, looking at him as the car slows to a stop, I can't help but think he must be an angel. An angel with no wings can still fly.

"'Yama, you okay?"

I force myself back into the present. I'd been staring at Shouyou for who knows how long now. He looks at me, worried, having already undone his seatbelt. I hear a _click_ as Miwa unbuckles as well. Closing my eyes and facing forward, I take a deep breath, and slowly let it out.

"Yeah."

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

"Oh, Tobio, what happened to your glasses?" My father rushes up, worriedly plucking them off the bridge of my nose and inspecting them.

"I almost biked over a cat."

His eyebrows raise nearly up to his hairline. "A cat?"

"A... friend's, cat."

Shouyou stifles what sounds like a snort, attempting to cover it by clearing his throat.

My father's eyebrows do not fall back down, but he turns around and heads back to his desk, pulling out drawers seemingly at random. "Well, let's find you a new pair! Or shall we head to the eye doctor and get the right prescription?"

"The right prescription would probably be best, father," Miwa says before I can speak.

I press my lips together, looking at the ground. Twenty minutes earlier, we had just walked through the mansion doors.

_"I can't_ _believe_ _everything_ _is the same. The first time_ _I_ _was here,_ _I_ _went home thinking that most of it must've been a dream, y'know? But it's not. GWAH! Is that_ _toilet_ _made of gold!?"_

_I'd sighed at Shouyou's outburst. We were led to the Wardrobe again, but,_ _apparently_ _upon my father's request, were given_ _slightly_ _less extravagant_ _clothes_ _than_ _last_ _time. Black slacks, black dress shoes, black long sleeve button-up, and a sapphire blue bowtie that matched my eyes._

_This_ _time,_ _I_ _was a bit less_ _covert_ _with_ _my staring when Shouyou changed. He was given black slacks and black dress shoes, as well, but_ _his_ _button-up was white, and his bowtie was an_ _orange_ _that matched his hair. He turned and grinned at me, but his grin faltered as he saw my own clothes and gulped._

_Miwa had on similar clothes, though her white button-up_ _and_ _black bowtie were accompanied by a black dress coat. It had gold stitching, buttons, and accents that matched the gold earrings she was also given to replace her multicolored ones._

_A few minutes later, we stood in front of the familiar,_ _massive_ _set_ _of doors that led to the library, and my father's office. Deep_ _breaths_ _in, and out. In... and out. Shouyou's hand found mine_ _and_ _squeezed once, twice, three times_ _before_ _pulling away as the_ _door_ _was opened._


	57. HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

"KAGEYAMA TOBIO, IF YOU DON'T WEAR THE COSTUME I PICKED OUT, I WON'T PLAY VOLLEYBALL WITH YOU ANYMORE! OR WEAR WHATEVER YOU PICKED FOR ME!"

Shouyou's voice is loud, even through the bathroom door. I let out a breath through clenched teeth, my fists at my sides. My ears burn hot with embarrassment. As I turn to face the door, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror -- too much skin -- and look away, quickly.

"This is stupid... and why do I have to put mine on, first!?" I mutter to myself, adjusting my glasses. I don't have to adjust these ones as much as my old, cracked ones, though.

My hand twitches as I reach for the doorknob, unlocking it slowly, before turning the knob itself. Shouyou stands outside in the hallway, just in his pajamas. His eyes grow wide as he slowly looks me up and down, making my cheeks flush darker. _Why is he so shocked!? He_ _picked_ _it out!_

Black, thick-soled boots with tight laces. Black and white striped socks that go up barely past my knee. _Very_ short black shorts with cuffs (I told him, before he chose my costume, that I was _not_ wearing a skirt of any kind. He said he'd wear one if he had to), and a sapphire-blue belt. A black, "spaghetti-strap" crop top. A black ribbon choker, similar black and sapphire-blue bracelets, and a silk black bowtie. And, of course, my glasses.

"What's this even supposed to _be?"_ I ask him, trying to get him to stop staring.

Shouyou glances up at my eyes for a moment, before flicking his gaze back down to my stomach, cheeks pink. I cross my arms, shifting my weight.

"I'm going to take this off if you don't stop staring, dumbass."

Clearing his throat, he looks away, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, um!" he squeaks. "Well, I just thought... it'd look cool?"

I groan, putting my head in my hands.

"And it does! Well, I'm not sure "cool" is the right word..."

"Then what is?" I grumble, half to myself, my head still in my hands.

"...Cute? Hot?" he asks, thoughtfully.

"I will throw this shoe at your nose. Put on yours. The sooner you do, the sooner I can take this off."

He squeaks and darts into the bathroom, sneaking one last glance at me before shutting and locking the door. I sigh and lean against the wall in front of the bathroom. _Good thing Mrs. Hinata is taking Natsu trick-or-treating..._

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_Hinata's POV_

After locking the door, I turn around and lean my back on it. _I am so glad we're taking pictures of each other later._ But first, I have to change into the costume he picked for me.

Shaking my head of thoughts about Kageyama (and his hot stomach), I look up and see a large, brown, paper bag sitting on the closed toilet lid. I gulp, with completely no idea what it could be. I have no choice; I make my way towards it, trembling slightly.

Ten minutes later, I stand dressed in front of the mirror, blushing furiously.

Pink sneakers with red strawberries all over them and white shoelaces. White, calf-high socks. A yellowish cream-colored, pleated skirt that was a couple inches shorter than my knees. A pink hoodie with white accents, with a cutesy drawing of a carton of strawberry milk on the front, and strawberry-shaped hoodstring pulls. It all somehow went well with my orange hair.

My cheeks were nearly the same shade of pink as my clothing. I close my eyes, and draw in a shaky breath. Then I rush over to the door, unlocking it and slamming it open in one swift movement.

_"_ _Kageyama, what kind_ _of_ _Halloween costume is this!? And why am_ _I_ _wearing a skirt!?"_

Kageyama jumps, startled, and pushes himself off the wall. Then his eyes go even wider behind his glasses, and he inhales sharply, his lip catching on his teeth. I fidget with the hems of my sleeves, flushed and nervous.

"I-I answered _your_ questions, it's-it's only fair you answer mine," I stammer, gaze drifting down to his bare stomach and thighs for just a moment. _His muscles are unfair._

He shakes his head, roughly. "Uh. You look really good. Wait, that's not what you asked. I mean, you do, but I--" He slaps a hand on his skull sharply, seeming to reset himself. "Strawberry milk."

"Well, yes, I can read, but why?"

"I get it sometimes at the vending machine by the gym at school, when it isn't sold out. I... I like it. A lot," Kageyama finishes, clenching his fists at his sides.

The air in the hallway suddenly seems too thick to breath. "Strawberry milk, or the costume?"

He looks up at me, surprised. "...Both."

I gulp. "Even with the skirt?"

"Especially the skirt."

A warm shiver runs through my body. Then I cover my face with a squeak. _"Don't say_ _such_ _embarrassing_ _things!"_

I can see the corner of his mouth twitching, in my head. A hand touches mine, making me jump, before it moves under my chin, tilting my head up. Blue eyes meet mine for only a moment before soft lips press against my own.

My eyes slowly flutter closed, and my hands come up to cup his cheeks. Our mouths move together, sending lighting bolts of warmth through my nerves. My heart pounds, and my stomach flutters.

Kageyama's hands settle right on the crook of my neck, making me shiver. One of my hands moves, threading fingers through his hair. His breaths merge with mine. He tastes of blueberries and chocolate. _How?_

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

_Kageyama's POV_

Shouyou pulls away with a soft gasp, resting his forehead on mine. My eyes remain closed as I try to remain drifting through bliss. His hands move from my jaw, coming up to grab mine. He lets them fall, but holds them between us.

"Happy Halloween, 'Yama," he whispers.

"Happy Halloween. Boke."

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_Oikawa's POV_

"Iwa-chan, lemme see your costume, already!" I call, standing with my arms crossed outside his bedroom. I hear him sigh through the door, and the knob begins to turn.

_What could it be,_ _I_ _wonder?_ _A vampire?_ The image of pale, clear skin, long fangs dipped in blood, graceful movements, and a hot, black tailcoat pops into my head. _A cat?_ I imagine Iwa-chan with a long, furry tail, big ears full of fluff, and squishy paws. I force myself to not get a nosebleed.

_What_ _if it's_ _something_ _else entirely... like a hot lumberjack!?_ _He's_ _got the muscles... Or maybe a mysterious-but-attractive government agent!_ _Whatever_ _could_ _it be?_

The door opens. I see a flash of yellow when I open my eyes, and I draw in a breath. It's... a firefighter. With a completely accurate, full body suit of thick, yellow material, large, black boots, and a red hardhat. Iwa-chan glares at me from under the slightly-too-big hat, and crosses his arms.

My eyes water. "Iwa-chan! So mean!"

"What did I do!?"

_"Ugh!" Just wait till he sees_ my _costume._

I stomp past him, dragging my bag into his room and locking the door.

"Hey! Change in the bathroom or something!"

I ignore him. A few minutes later, I stand with my hands on my hips in front of Iwa-chan's mirror.

The school uniform. A cream-colored jacket with three buttons, a slightly more tan v-neck sweater, a light blue button-up, and dark brown loafers. However, instead of the normal tie, I wear the slightly brighter red ribbon. I also have on white, knee-high socks, and a tan, plaid, pleated skirt, lent ever so kindly by the class president, who was surrounded by a group of giggling girls.

I grin mischievously, and waltz to the door, humming. "Oh, Iwa-chan~! You better be ready to see my costume~!" I open the door after unlocking it, and proudly resume my stance with my hands on my hips, this time in the doorway, and with my eyes shut.

I hear nothing.

"Iwa-chan?" I ask, cracking open eye. The hall is empty. _"Iwa-chan,_ _I_ _swear, if you don't--"_

The bathroom door down the hall opens, and he steps out (stomps, with his heavy boots). "Shittykawa, you can't be left alone for one--" He pauses, staring at me.

He blinks, then turns away and heads down the opposite end of the hallway, turning into the kitchen. "Don't spill food on that poor girl's skirt."

I gasp, smacking a hand to my chest, offended, quickly following him. "First of all, she all but gave it to me! Second, why're you so calm about it!? It hardly even surprised you!"

"You wear skirts all the time, Trashykawa," he says as I round the corner. He's halfway in the refrigerator, looking for something to eat.

"Well-- yes, but still! And stop calling me those horrible names!" I whine, slumping down on the stool at the counter.

"Trashykawa."

_"Ugh!_ So mean, Iwa-chan!!"

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

_Kuroo's POV_

"Kenma, which one should I wear?" I ask.

I stand in front of the couch, a hanger in each hand. From one hangs a banana onesie. From the other, a hotdog costume. He glances up from his game, then looks at me disappointedly for a moment before looking back down.

"Neither."

"Kenma, dear, please take this seriously. It's the one day of the year I can be dressed up and not made fun of quite as much as I normally do when I express myself in front of the team."

"You're wearing it in front of the team?"

"Why not? And what're _you_ even going as?"

"I don't know," he says, tiredly. 

"Well, how about this. Whichever one I don't wear, you have to wear. Deal?" I grin crookedly at him.

"No."

"Ugh, Kenma, you're no fun. When was the last time you even dressed up for Halloween?"

Kenma sighs and closes his game, having realized he'll be unable to focus on it properly. "I never celebrated it. I just wore a sheet and walked with you getting free candy."

I let out a long sigh. "Then let this year be the first, Kenma, dear, hm?"

He looks down at his hands, then up at the costume, furrowing his brow. "Nah."

I groan again, tossing the costumes onto the table between Kenma and I. "At least choose which one _I_ should wear!"

He goes silent for a moment. "Banana. Black goes better with yellow than brown."

My eyebrows raise. " _That's_ your reasoning? Oh well, I guess it's chosen, then. Banana it is."

I pick up both costumes, donning my usual grin. "Be back in a jiffy~!"

And a jiffy, it was.

"Well?" I ask, standing in front of the couch again, with my feet planted far apart and my hands on my hips. "What do you think, little Kenma?"

Kenma sighs and pauses his game before turning to me. His eyebrows raise, though his eyes remain semi-closed. Under my costume, I wear black tights and black loafers. The costume itself, though, is glorious.

The stem at the top has a hole in it where my head sticks out. Instead of going sideways, like you'd think it would, the banana instead faces forwards. The bottom "stem" sticks out between my legs, making me feel somewhat... confident.

I sway slightly, causing the bottom to wag from side to side.

Kenma lets out a massive sigh, turning back to his game. "Captures you perfectly, Kuro."

I let out a sharp burst of laughter. "Why, thank you! Now, for you to put on the hot dog."

He whips around. "Wha--!"

After an unsurprisingly long amount of time later, I finally have Kenma standing in front of the mirror, costume on. He glares furiously at my reflection. Two brownish halves of a hotdog bun, a round, reddish hotdog in the center with dark, felt scorch marks, and three squiggly felt lines: for ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise.

"Kuro. I don't like this."

"Lighten up, Kenma dear; you look wonderful~!"


	58. Lenses and Libraries

"The right prescription would probably be best, wouldn't it, father?"

Back in the present, we find ourselves once more in the moody library. I wonder what they'll do with all these books when or our father sells the mansion. _Hold onto them, or_ _even_ _just a few?_ _Give_ _them away? Help out or create a_ _new_ _library? Leave them for the next owner?_ I decide to ask later.

Our father looks at Miwa with a slightly surprised expression. "Oh, yes, well... I suppose you're right. But we'll get to that afterwards! Tobio, I see you brought your frien--"

"Boyfriend."

The room goes silent. Shouyou, beside me, lets out a noise of surprise. Miwa goes stiff, and slowly turns to look at me, a smile slowly spreading across her face. Our father goes still as well. Heat slowly spreads across my face and down my neck; I clench my fists at my sides to keep them from shaking. _I cannot believe I just said that._ After a minute of silence, our father draws in a deep breath.

"Your boyfriend?" he asks softly, adjusting his glasses.

A bead of sweat slowly trails down my neck. I nod, unable to open my mouth. He looks down at the floor for a moment, and Shouyou steps almost imperceptibly closer to my side. When father straightens, he looks between us silently, and, seeming to come to a conclusion, nods.

"Okay," he says. The word carries more than could be easily said. "I see you brought your... boyfriend, again. Such a wonderful seeming boy. I'll have to come to one of your games--"

"I'm a lesbian."

The words Miwa blurted ring out, the only sound in the silence that falls over the room once more, but for far shorter of a time.

"Goodness, is this 'National Coming Out Day'!?" father exclaims, before pinching the bridge of his nose and letting out a long sigh. "Well, I may as well join you guys... I'm ace."

~•°•°--------------------------°•°•~

"Ace?" Shouyou asks, the first time he's spoken since we walked in.

"I never knew that," Miwa says, quietly.

"Then how were we born?" I ask.

"Let me speak, please." For the third time, silence falls. Father leans back against the table with a sigh. "I'm ace, as in asexual. I experience no sexual attraction. As for your mother, I loved her very much. She knew, but still wanted kids. So we artificially inseminated her; you are still our biological children... I just had a much smaller part of the process than normal."

"Oh." Miwa shuffles over to a chair and plops down. "Fully biological?"

"Yes."

A wave of nausea sweeps through me, and I clutch at my stomach through the stiff clothes. My cheeks tingle, and I shut my eyes tightly. Shouyou, having noticed my grimace, holds onto my sleeve until the feeling passes, as the other two speak.

"So you don't care that I'm a lesbian? Or that Tobio has a boyfriend?" Miwa asks our father, tapping her foot on the ground nervously. At that, Shouyou's hand anxiously slips from my sleeve to be shoved into his pocket.

"Not at all! Both were simply a surprise; a pleasant one, at that." Father pushes himself back off of the table, and his glasses farther up his nose. Then, thinking hard, he moves around to the other side, where his chair sits. Sitting in the worn leather, he lets out another sigh. "I assume you brought all that up so you'd see how I responded, hm?"

I glance up into his eyes, the ones that look so much like mine, still feeling slightly queasy. I miss Shouyou's hand in mine, or on my sleeve. Something about this place always makes me feel... homesick. "Yes."

He stares for a moment, fingers laced in front of himself on the table, and I shift my weight uncomfortably. "Children, if you don't want me living with you, I completely understand. I can find a place--"

"We do want you to. Right, Tobio?" Miwa asks, turning to me, still sitting down.

I take a deep, shaky breath, fingers tapping nervously on the side of my leg. _The decision is mine._

_He can provide for us. Miwa doesn't have to_ _work_ _so hard. He's somebody else_ _I_ _can talk to about not being_ _straight_ _. Miwa smiles around him. He seems nice, and friendly, and smart. He also_ _seems_ _interested in my passion for volleyball. And he can tell me more_ _about_ _mother._

"We do."

A wave of... something. Relief? It feels as if a great weight was lifted from my shoulders after making the decision. Exhaustion begins to take hold of me, shackles on my eyelids. The homesickness comes back, but it isn't as powerful as before.

Shouyou shifts beside me. I glance at him, giving him a small, wobbly smile to reassure him that _Yes, this is what I want_. His eyes peer into mine, anxiously, making sure it's genuine. Then he smiles back, all bright and beautiful. My gaze shifts again, and Miwa is looking at me, as well.

Our father's eyes widen behind his glasses in delight and shock. "Really? You're sure? I don't want to cause any trouble!"

"I'm sure."

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

I couldn't spend another minute in that mansion. We'd changed out of our clothes, though were allowed to keep them since our father was readying for moving out. That is why he couldn't come with us to the eye doctor, even if he wanted to. He gave us detailed instructions, though, on how to get a prescription.

We left the mansion, clothes in hand, and I let out a deep breath, breathing in the fresh air. I'd begun to feel a little claustrophobic in the mansion, which is odd, since it's likely the biggest building I've ever stepped into. The first time, I didn't feel it as bad, because it was so new.

Shouyou walks close to my side, and Miwa walks in front of us, singing some song her and her band have been playing. He looks up at me, and I meet his gaze. Gravel crunches under my shoes as we make our way to the car.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

I look down, thinking. I feel... tired. It hasn't quite settled in yet that I'm going to have a father again. I tell him so, and he hums.

"Okay."

"Hey, you two! Hurry up and get in the car!"

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

A little over an hour later, Shouyou and I sit asleep, leaning against each other in the car once more. A receipt from the eye doctor is in my loose grip, threatening to fall to the floor. I'll have my new glasses in a couple weeks: a normal pair, with a round, black frame. We also bought contacts for the meantime, and for wearing while playing volleyball.

Quiet music filters through the speakers, and Miwa hums and taps her fingers along to it. A soft smile warms her face.


	59. Reassurance

"I'll see you on Monday, 'Yama!" Shouyou reassures me after seeing my tired but upset face.

I furrow my brow, looking at our clasped hands. The moonlight shines down on us, and as does the light through the front door. We stand on the porch, saying goodbye, as Mrs. Hinata and Miwa do the same back at the car. I can only just hear their voices and laughter behind us.

The crickets sing in the grass. A far off owl can be heard, calling out into the night. A few neighborhood dogs join the chorus with joy, barking and howling. A cool, gentle breeze blows across my cheek, and ruffles Shouyou's hair.

Looking back up at his slightly blurry figure (my glasses are in my pocket), I nod. Before I can turn away, he leans up and presses a quick kiss to my chin -- the only thing he can reach. I blink, surprised, then let my lips quirk up as I look down at him.

"SEE YA, LOVEBIRD!"

Shouyou jumps and instinctually pulls away as I quickly look towards the source of the voice. Natsu grins, hanging out of the window farthest left and waving her arm. I let out a good-natured sigh and wave back at her and her massive smile, before she ducks back inside. Her brother giggles behind his hand, making me look back down at him and glare.

"Bye, 'Yama," he smiles. Even in the near-complete darkness, he _glows_.

"Bye, Shou," I only just manage to croak out.

I take a deep breath, then turn around, shoving my hands into my sweatshirt pockets. Mrs. Hinata bids one last farewell to Miwa, before enveloping me in a bone-crushing hug.

"Come back again soon!" she grins after finally letting me go and putting her hands on her hips.

"I-I will," I tell her, trying not to audibly gasp for air.

She laughs and claps me on the shoulder before turning and heading back to the house. I let out a breath, then open the car door and duck in. I peer out the window, watching Shouyou leap into the air to wave at me as we pull away, and his mother standing beside him, laughing, and Natsu, waving out the window again.

A small smile spreads across my face, and I struggle to buckle my seatbelt in the dark without looking. Finally, they're out of view, and I turn to face forwards with a sigh. The first pang of not being able to see him until Monday hits me, as well as a second wave of exhaustion.

"They're nice people, Tobio."

I can't see her in the blurriness and the dark, but the turn signal starts up, flashing a small, red light. It turns off as we round the corner. "Yeah."

I can see her smile in my head.

"They are."

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

_"You're gay? When did you decide to turn gay?" Sugawara asks me, one eyebrow quirked up._

_"M-maybe... it's just a phase..?" Asahi suggests nervously,_ _staying_ _well away from me._

_Tsukishima_ _turns_ _away from me."Tch. Pervert."_

_"Why are you gay?" Yachi asks, sweetly. "I'm not good enough for you?_ Kyoko _isn't good enough?" Beside her, Kyoko puts her head in her hands, sighing in disappointment._

_"You are no longer_ _allowed_ _in the volleyball club, Kageyama Tobio," Daichi_ _tells_ _me, firmly. His eyes are crossed, and he glares down at_ _me_ _with a ferocity I've never seen before._

_"You are a_ _disgrace_ _to humanity..." Yamaguchi mutters, glaring._

_"So basically, you're a girl?" Tanaka asks,_ _making_ _a disgusted face and miming_ _sticking_ _a finger down his throat and gagging._

_"Tanaka!" Kinoshita calls. "Don't do that in front of Kageyama. He already gags enough, being gay!"_

_"You_ _turned_ _Hinata GAY!" Nishinoya_ _shouts_ _, stomping the gym floor. "You RUINED him!"_

_"Now, now," Ennoshita chides Tanaka and Nishinoya, arms crossed. "We can't blame Kageyama_ completely... _After all, it's because his mother died, right? That's why he's acting so childish?"_

_Narita looks at me, not saying anything, arms crossed. Then he_ _simply_ _turns_ _around_ _and walks the_ _other_ _way._

_The rest of the team_ _slowly_ _follows suit, one after another._ _When_ _they vanish from view,_ _I_ _turn around to see Shouyou behind me, a volleyball in_ _his_ _hands. Big, fat tears slide down his cheeks. The tears collect at his chin, then_ _fall_ _to the ground; he drops the volleyball at the same time. He doesn't bother to watch it_ _roll_ _away before he turns and leaves._

_I am alone in the gym._

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

"Tobio, wake up."

I slowly pry my tear-crusted eyes open, bringing my hand up to my face with a groan. A blurry head leans over me, sending a shiver down my spine. Then I process the voice.

"Miwa?"

"Yeah. I came in to wake you up, and you were crying, kid. You okay?"

I let my hand fall and sit up with another groan. Miwa lowers herself onto the bed, as I sit cross-legged, still watching me, silently.

"I... still have nightmares. Like I did when I was younger. I have them a lot, but... and they're normally similar. This one... this one is different." I rub my eyes. When I let my hands fall, staring down at them, purple spots jump across my vision like spiders.

Miwa hums, signaling that she's still listening.

"Shouyou and I, in real life, decided that we were going to tell the team about us sometime, starting with Sugawara, because we trust him the most. I'd forgotten about that until we came out to father, I guess... So the dream was... well, it was my team's reactions. And... it was bad..."

"Oh, Tobio..." Miwa scoots closer and extends her hand for me to hold, knowing I don't often like physical touch when I'm upset. I let out a shaky breath and accept her offer, reaching out and squeezing her hand.

Thin slivers of light shine through the window slats. A blue checker pattern decorates my blanket. The ceiling has a paper thin crack in the paint. The light is off, but seems to glow in the daylight streaming through the blinds. My nails are smooth where I've delicately groomed them.

My blanket is soft and fluffy. The mattress beneath me is cushiony, but supports my weight. Miwa's hand in mine is soft, strong, and comforting. The shirt I wear hugs me around the middle where I'd twisted it in the night.

The singing of birds filters through the window; the sound of morning. I can only just make out Miwa's soft breathing. My heart begins to resume a quiet, steady rhythm in my chest.

I still smell like Shouyou, having not taken a shower yet. Miwa's sweet caramel perfume wafts over me.

My tongue, in my mouth, tastes dry.


	60. Cough, Cough, Fall in Love

"You sure you're okay, now?" Miwa asks over her shoulder as she turns on the coffee machine. A familiar bubbling and humming fills the air, as well as the comforting smell of coffee.

I tap my foot a bit as I reach up to grab the cereal, too tired to cook anything. "Yeah."

"Well, alright. Just don't stress, okay? You've talked about your upperclassmen before, and they seem about a billion times more mature than you _or_ me. I'm sure it'll go great tomorrow." The machine beeps as she presses a button, and coffee begins pouring out into her mug. Steam rises into the air.

Shaking myself out of my reverie, I open the fridge and get out the milk jug. "I guess." I see her blurry figure shift as she looks over at me, but I turn away to put everything back and grab a spoon. "Do you not have work today?"

"I do," she starts, turning off the coffee machine. "But my shift is from one to six, so I've got a couple hours."

I nod, taking my bowl to the livingroom. "I'll make dinner tonight."

"Well, thanks, but I've got a surprise planned! Trust me, you'll like it!" she adds, seeing my grimace.

"Alright..."

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

As Miwa's getting ready to go to work in the bathroom, and I'm kneeling at the table watching TV, my phone buzzes. I jump and pull it out of my pocket.

_New text message._

_From: Shou_

_Shou: YAMA_

_Me: Shouyou. What's wrong?_

I stare at the screen, watching him type. Miwa's hums from the bathroom echo towards me.

_Shou: (Typing...)_   
_nothing's wrong, you just hadnt texted,_ _so_ _i_ _was_ _worried- ;-;"_

_Me: Sorry. I fell_ _asleep_ _quick,_ _and_ _just_ _finished breakfast._

I glance at the empty bowl on the table at my knees.

_Shou: (Typing...)_   
_why were you sleeping so long? youre normally up real early!! :O_

_Me: ... Nightmare._

_Shou: oh_   
_(Typing...)_   
_im sorry, do you_ _wanna_ _talk?_

_Me: I talked to Miwa. It was_ _just_ _about... coming out to the team._

_Shou: oh_   
_(Typing...)_

My heart rate leaps as I impatiently wait for his reply, fingers tapping on my knees. The sound from the TV fills the near-silence as Miwa rushes around, gathering her belongings.

_Shou: (Typing...)_   
_hey, im sure itll be fine. okay? we'll be there together! and suga is real understanding!_ _^^_

_Me_ _: I..._ _hope_ _so._   
_...Thank you._

"Bye, Tobio!" Miwa calls, fuzzily waving from the hallway. "See you at six!"

"Bye, see you," I nod to her, raising hand slightly.

The front door shuts after a moment, and a minute later I hear the car engine start up. I let out a breath and look back at my phone screen, rising to my feet to head to my room. I almost forget to turn off the TV first.

_Shou: of course! and we can always wait if you want to. theres no pressure! ^-^_

I smile a little, stepping through my door. A familiar sound that I can't quite pin down greets my ears. It is just simply the "background sounds" to my room. The certain way the breeze blows against my window and rustles the trees outside. The hum of appliances in the next room. The soft singing of the water pipes.

_Me: It's okay. I want to, if you do._

_Shou: (Typing...)_   
_i do if you do too ù-ú_   
_GWAH i just remembered!_

He sure changes subjects quickly, though I refrain from telling him.

_Me: What?_

_Shou: (Typing...)_

_(Typing...)_   
_okay so. i was_ _just_ _thinking..._   
_can_ _i call?? " >3>_

_Me: Yeah._

Just a few moments after I send my reply, my phone begins ringing. Heart pounding, I lay on my bed on my back and plug it into the charger, just in case. Then I answer the call.

"'Yama!" Shouyou yells through the speakers.

I wince slightly, but the corners of my lips quirk up. "Shou." _God, I've missed his voice._

"Do you know what a pet name is?" he asks, instantly.

"A--" My voice catches. "A pet name."

"Yeah!"

"...A nickname?" I bite my lip lamely.

"Its a nickname that the other person in a relationship gives to the other." I can hear the grin in his voice.

"So..?" I blink.

"So give me one, and I'll give _you_ one!"

I choke, turning away from my phone's microphone for a moment to cough into my elbow on my own spit. "G-give you a _pet name_!?"

"Sure! Why not?"

Gulping, I sit up, accidentally yanking the cord out of my phone. I ignore it, putting my head in my free hand. "I'm... not much of a 'pet name' person... and besides, I call you 'Shou'!"

Shouyou, on the other side of the phone, laughs like chiming bells, then is joined by a rustling sound like he's rolling over in bed or something. "But that's not a _pet_ name!"

"Then give me an example!" I half sigh, half exclaim.

Shouyou hums, thinking. I stand and begin pacing, my free hand running through my hair. "'Yama-nyan!"

I choke again. "NO."

"'Yama-tan?"

"NO."

"'Yama- _chan_?"

" _NO_."

"Ugh, fine! Lemme think!" he half whines.

I rub my fingers on my temple, closing my eyes with a sigh. He hums again, this time a little quieter. "Hmm... if you were Tsukishima-san, I'd call you 'fries' or 'fry'. If you were Yamaguchi, I'd call you 'Yam'. If you were Nishinoya-senpai, I'd call you... 'Thunder', or something. If you were Yachi, I'd call you 'Yacchan', like Bokuto-senpai. Hmm..."

I furrow at all the different nicknames. _What_ _would_ _I_ _call_ him _?_

"I've got it!" he exclaims.

"What."

"Yogurt!"

~•°•°------------------------°•°•~

By the way:

-chan: cutesy, informal, used for or between girls or little kids

-tan: a mispronunciation of "-chan", usually used sarcastically, by little kids, or by cutesy commercial mascots (café girls, for example)

-nyan: only used between very close friends, partners, or cat-lovers, is generally frowned upon, is referencing the way the sound that a cat makes is written ('nya', 'nyah', 'nyan', etc.)


	61. The Boss's Daughter

I stop pacing. I stand in the middle of my room, phone held to my ear. My heart pounds, and I can feel it in the tip of my left index finger, beating away. The line is silent, but a hopeful sort of silence. It makes my cheeks turn pink.

I close my jaw with a click, refocusing my still blurry gaze on the wall in front of me. "D-dumbass."

Shouyou's loud, childlike laughter rings out: pure happiness. "Yogurt! _Yogurt_!"

"Shut - shut up. Boke."

"Well, 'boke' isn't a very good pet name, so you better think of something else! Yogurt~" he adds.

I sigh, pressing my fingers to my temples. "I have to think of one for you."

"Yep!"

"I don't _know_ ," I sigh.

Shouyou groans. I can practically see him pulling his eyelids down.

"...Why did you pick 'yogurt'?" I ask, hesitantly.

He stops groaning. "Hm? Oh, well..." I hear his embarrassment. "I just know you really like yogurt, so, I don't know..."

My cheeks darken. "O-oh. Well. I don't think... I should call you... 'meat bun'."

Shouyou makes a startled noise in the back of his throat. Then he begins laughing again. "'MEAT BUN'!?"

" _Shut up!! I said_ _I_ wouldn't _call you that!"_ I shout, holding the phone slightly away.

"Then what would you call me!?"

"I-I don't know!? You're- you're as orange as- as- as a tangerine or a pumpkin or something!"

This time, his side of the line goes quiet. Of course, he can't stay silent quite as long as I can. "...Pumpkin?"

My heart races, and I gulp. "I-if - if you want?"

He giggles nervously a bit. "S-say it again."

"...Pumpkin." It feels weird in my mouth. The word is round and soft, and tastes like autumn. Too sweet. "Tangerine." This word is sharper, cleaner, and feels better in my mouth. It sounds more like him.

"'Pumpkin' reminds me of my dad... I-I like the second one."

"Tangerine."

He giggles again. "Yogurt."

I can't help but break into a small grin.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

A little while later, we hung up. I let out a breath, now sitting in my desk chair and leaning back, looking up at my plain ceiling. _Yogurt_ _._ The corner of my mouth twitches. _Tangerine_.

_This feeling is so new._ _So_ _strange. And..._ _I_ _love it. I..._ _I_ _love him._

_I love Hinata Shouyou._

My heart stops and starts again, like an engine sputtering out for a moment.

_And_ _I_ _have_ _to tell Sugawara-san that._

(I try to ignore the itching in the back of my head, trying to remind me that my father is coming to finally stay with us soon.)

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

_(Hinata's POV)_

"Tangerine," says Kageyama quietly over the phone. 

My heart beats rapidly, and I giggle nervously. I'm laying on my back on my bed, holding Kageyama's sweatshirt by my head. I hold my phone with the other hand. "Yogurt."

In my head, I imagine him with a small smile on his face. A tingly warmth spreads all the way down to the tips of my toes. I close my eyes, breathing in Kageyama's smell, and crack a smile myself. After talking about nothing for a while, really just to hear each other's voices, I had to hang up so I could go help Natsu and ma make dinner.

Steamy rice, pickled vegetables, small pieces of sweet and chewy pork, and steamed broccoli with sesame seeds. Half of these were leftovers from the other day, and the other half we cooked quickly. Natsu added the final touches, sprinkling sesame seeds onto the broccoli.

My mind was full of Kageyama and seeing him tomorrow and talking to Sugawara-san around volleyball practice. But I tried my best to keep up with whatever the other two were talking about; either Natsu seeing her friends tomorrow or the latest drawing of hers, I can't remember which. Probably both. Or neither.

Either way, as my hands move from pan to plate and back to the pan, they itch to hold Kageyama's. They itch to run through his silky black hair, to brush it out of his eyes. They itch to cling to the side of his sweatshirt as we walk, and the back of it when we sleep. They itch to cup his cheeks as we kiss and kiss and _kiss._

Monday couldn't come slower.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_(Kageyama's POV)_

As I search through the fridge for leftovers to eat, waiting for Miwa to come home, I'm lost in my head. It's full of worry about my father, Sugawara-san, and the rest of the team. But most of all, it's full of a desire I've never felt so strongly before: to be with Shouyou.

I don't know how I'm going to survive until practice.

The front door clicks down the hall, then opens, letting Miwa's singing ring through the house. It's a pop song that recently came out; she was probably listening to it over the car's radio on her way from work. My lips quirk up as she both absolutely butchers the song and does it justice, somehow.

Miwa prances into the kitchen, singing and laughing and smiling when she sees me, and drags me away from the fridge. She stops her singing, but props her chin on her hands, elbows on the counter, across from me. She grins wildly at me, eyes sparkling.

I sigh, taking the bait and sitting across from her. "What happened to make you so happy?"

Her grin grows, and she can't help but let out a loud laugh. "I HAVE A DATE!"

My eyes widen, and my jaw falls open. "A _date_? With who!? When!? _How!?"_

Miwa laughs at all the questions, twirling away from the counter and into the livingroom, forcing me to hoist myself up and follow her. Her figure grows blurrier as she gets farther away, but I watch with amusement, anyways.

"Yes, a date!! She's my boss's daughter -- the one I told you I fancied!! _She_ asked _me_ out to get coffee tomorrow!"

I can't help but smile genuinely. "Th-that's great, Miwa, really. What's her name?"

"Tanaka Saeko!"


	62. Contacts and Godzilla

"Tanaka Saeko!"

My jaw drops once again, and I stare at Miwa's blurry, but steady, figure. Her hands are on her hips and I can see a flash of white from her huge smile. Her dark hair is pulled up, and I can see random bright blobs of color on her white canvas overalls - probably paint.

"Ta...naka?"

When I think of Tanaka Ryuu's sister, I can't remember much, because I was asleep half the time in her car. But I remember nearly careening off a cliff at least seven times when I was awake (and hungry). I also, however, see her up in the bleachers with the rest of her 'cheerleaders', viciously pounding on the large drums. She almost looks like Tanaka-senpai in a short, choppy blonde wig.

"Hm? Yes, do you know that name?"

"That's..." I furrow my brow and, for some reason, almost start laughing. "I think your date is my teammate's sister. The teammate - the shaved-headed wing spiker that always hangs out with our libero. His sister drove us to Tokyo once, and cheered us at Nationals with traditional Japanese drums. I never knew she..."

Miwa's hands slide off her hips, and she seems to glide into the kitchen. "You really can't remember any names, can you?" she laughs, poking my arm as she passes me. "Well then! You two will be familiar with each other; that's good!"

I shove my hands into my pockets and blow a strand of hair out of my face. "I guess."

She turns to me, then pauses. "You've hardly seen a thing this whole time, have you? Your eyes are unfocused."

I blink.

"For the love of-- Did you already forget you got contacts!? Come on, go get them and I'll help you put them in! You've gotta get used to them before you play _volleyball_ with them!"

I turn around, sheepishly, and head to my room where I set them.

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

"So, I just..."

"Hold your eye _open_ , I said! Now with the finger that the contact is balanced on, slowly place it on. And look up while you do it!" Miwa glances at her phone, double checking the steps she found on the website my contact lenses are from.

I gulp at Miwa's words, one freshly washed hand holding open my upper eyelid and the other holding open my lower eyelid. Balanced on the latter hand's fingertip is a contact lens. I let out a small breath and look upwards, heart beating fast. My eye starts to water. I place the lens on and slowly close my eyes, letting it settle.

After a moment, I open them again, and am struck with a wave of dizziness.

"Come on, put the other one in! Your vision is half n' half right now!"

I take a deep breath and carefully repeat the process for my left eye, slowly blinking them closed again. Once again, I carefully open them. _Clear._ I look around. _Clear, like how it used_ _to_ _be._ The corner of my mouth twitches. _No frames in the way or digging into my nose._ I blink again, then turn to Miwa, looking down slightly. _No blurry peripherals._

"I can see like I used to."

Her face breaks into a grin, and she reaches up and clasps my shoulder. "Alright! Be careful with those; don't go poking your eyes, wearing them in your sleep, taking them out all the time, all that. Read the box, and online!"

I nod, glancing at my reflection. It's strange: my face looks oddly plain without my glasses. "Do I... still need glasses?"

"Your contacts might dry out or get uncomfortable, making you want to take them out, so it's good to have a backup. Or if you just don't want to go through the trouble of putting them in. Or if you have to go somewhere, and you can't bring lens solution and all that or something. Or if you'd prefer to wear your contacts while playing and glasses during other times. Or--"

"Alright, alright! I still won't have them for a couple weeks anyways, so I have to get used to these," I say, stretching and yawning.

She brushes past me and out the door, grinning. "Yeah, yeah, but take them out when you're going to bed!"

"I will."

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

_(Hinata's POV)_

"Shouyou, watch a movie with me!"

I turn to Natsu, startled. Her orange pigtails bounce as she hops up and down, hands on the arm of my chair. Her massive grin bares up at me in anticipation. I set down my phone, eyebrows raised.

"Aww, I don't know, it's a school night..." I tease.

Her face immediately turns into a pout, and she stops jumping. "Brother!"

I break into a grin and pull on one of her pigtails. "Oh, alright. Which movie?"

_"Y_ _ay!"_ she cheers, batting my hand away and leaping into the air. "Godzilla!"

_"Again?"_ I laugh, rising to my feet and following her out of my room after shoving my phone in my jeans' pocket.

Natsu hums a bright, repetitive tune. "Yep!" She prances into the livingroom and shoves my leg until I sit on the couch, amused. Then she goes and digs through all the movies.

"It should be near the top, since--"

"Shush, Shouyou!"

"Just saying," I laugh, holding up my hands in defense.

She finally finds it, and holds it up triumphantly with a wide grin. "Alright! Open, please," she half-demands, bringing the case to me. I raise my eyebrows again and open it, almost not before she snatches it again.

Finally, a few minutes later, the lights are off, and the movie begins.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_(Tanaka's POV)_

_"Ryuuuuu!"_

I tear my gaze from the poster, startled, before quickly turning back. "I'll come back for you," I whisper to the bikini clad girl, and frantically roll it up, shoving it under my bed.

"What!?" I yell, getting up from my bed and casually moving to my closed door, just before it slams open. "You ever hear of knocking!?"

_"This is important, so listen up!"_ my older sister demands, breathing hard.


	63. Mountaintop Music

_(Tanaka's POV)_

"You've got a date with _Kageyama's sister!?"_

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_(Hinata's POV)_

My alarm blares, jerking me awake. I roll over onto my stomach, stretch my arm out with a groan, and manage to turn off my alarm without fumbling more than a few objects off my side table. Letting out my breath with a _woosh_ , I blearily pry open my eyes. My glow-in-the-dark stars stare blankly down at me, waiting for me to get up.

I sigh again, and hoist myself up and out of bed.

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

_G_ _et dressed, check._

_Brush teeth, check._

_Double-check backpack and homework, check._

_Grab Kageyama's sweatshirt, check._

_Take bento box, check._

_Call goodbye to ma and Natsu, check._

I hop into my bike and ring the bell at the other two, who are climbing into the car to start heading to the elementary school. They wave as I kick off and begin pedaling hard, zooming down the driveway and onto the road. My backpack bounces, and the rattling I normally hear from the _bento_ is silent, due to the extra sweatshirt stuffed in.

I breath in the sharp air that whips my bright orange nest of hair into the usual wild mess. It feels as if it's been years since I last rode my bike to Karasuno High; the exhilaration it brings is only bested by playing volleyball and seeing Kageyama. I pass bright, familiar houses and loud cars that roar down the street.

Rounding a corner, I near the slope of the mountain road. I relax my muscles and slowly press on the brake, stopping at the usual streetlamp. Standing there and keeping the bike steady, I pull out my phone and headphones and tap my usual playlist: _Dad's songs._

Sure, he never released any to the public... but he recorded all of them. Only a month before he died, he compiled them all and gave me the files. I've listened to them all thousands of times, and every time I find something else to notice.

There's just over 150 songs, all from when he was in college in the U.S. to the year he died. Every single song he wrote; even the ones he never finished. Of course, they aren't world class - but they are to me. I close my eyes for a moment, soaking in the sounds of his guitar, the drums, his voice, alive and whole.

I open my eyes again and resituate myself on the bike. Then I kick off. I soar down the hill, passing cars and sidewalks and passersby. Dad's familiar music fills me with warmth, like his old hugs. The wind rushes through my hair, nearly yanking off my headphones. I lift my legs like wings and lift myself up, _flying_ down the mountain.

I let out an adrenaline-fueled shout that I can't hear over the music and the wind that whips the noise from my mouth. Tears are ripped from my eyes, stinging and burning, but I keep them open to watch the sun rise. The great ball of bright, burning, beautiful flame climbs the horizon like a massive giant, simply too enormous to move any faster.

It bids good morning to all who mill about, but especially me, as puddles splash and shine under my speeding tires. My father's voice sings with such emotion and pitch and youth I'd never heard before; he must've been in college. I round the path, flying along the side of the mountain, the city glimmering just on my left over the metal railing.

The painting-esque mountain road that greets me every morning before school. I tend to take it for granted, especially now that I've been biking it for nearly a year. But after everything that's happened between Kageyama and I... the whole world seems to look so different.

_I wonder if he feels the same._

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_(Kageyama's POV)_

I haven't been able to go on my morning run for a while, now. The last time I went was Monday: the day Shouyou came to my house for a little while. I finish lacing my sneakers and rise from the foot of my bed, stretching my back one last time and stifling a yawn. The sun hasn't even risen yet, though a lighter blue brightens one side of the horizon just a little bit through the window.

I watch my reflection placidly as I brush my teeth. Even through the blurriness (I haven't put in my contacts yet), I can tell my hair is still ruffled from sleep. I furrow, and spit into the sink.

Finally, though, my vision is sharp, my hair is smoothed down, and my teeth are minty. I let out a breath, tapping my pocket to make sure my phone is still in it and connected to my headphones, before unlocking and stepping out the door. The cold air, even through my black jogging leggings, gives me goosebumps. The familiar feeling almost puts a thin smile on my face.

I press play, and the music begins. This time, I chose the classical playlist from the night under the fireworks with Shouyou. The music gives the world a different, ethereal feeling as I shut the door behind me and walk to the road. The symphony in the speakers flows and ebbs around me, an ocean of notes. The sky is a rich, midnight blue - but a slightly brighter sapphire in the east.

I pick up my pace like switching gears, and my breath comes out in puffs that I can faintly see in the cold air. Quiet houses gaze at me, sleepily, as I pass, shoes skimming over the cement. The music makes me feel as if I'm back with Shouyou, arms around each other and lit by dozens of bright, exploding colors.

The corner of my mouth quirks up, and my tense muscles relax a bit more as I jog down the street. I pass sleeping dogs and the occasional cat, both of which ignore me. I remember Hyena, Kuroo-san's cat, and how it had gone straight to Shouyou's lap. My phone bounces in my pocket.

Crisp, fluffy clouds begin to emerge in the darkness, backlit by the purple sunrise _. The music swells as the first rays shoot up, illuminating the sleeping world, as well as myself._

_I should start heading back._

_Shouyou._


	64. Barred Windows

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_(Hinata's POV)_

I walk beside my bike, wheeling it around to the bike rack outside Karasuno High. Puddles splash under my feet. Only a few students mill about, and the air is quiet and calm. My breath comes out in a sigh, but I can't help but smile up at the pink and orange clouds for a moment. Blue eyes flash in my head, startlingly vivid, and his voice murmurs in my ears. My heart skips a beat, and I can feel my ears and cheeks redden.

Flushed, I grin to myself and fidget with my backpack strings as I begin the short trek to the doors. When I'm almost there, I hesitate, looking to my right at the gym. I bite my lip, before my grin grows bigger. No concrete path guides my way as I head toward the gym, but I know it by heart anyways. Finally, I'm standing at the slightly open doors, on the short strip of concrete canopied by a metal roof. Nervous, I wonder if anybody is inside.

"Yo, Hinata!"

I jump, turning towards the source of the voice as if I just got caught doing something I wasn't supposed to be doing. A shaved-headed, large-muscled someone, and a much shorter, brown and spiky-haired someone else wave at me with massive grins. They're a few feet away on the same concrete strip; I'm surprised I didn't hear them approach.

"Tanaka-senpai! Nishinoya-senpai!" I turn around fully, greeting them with my own wild grin.

"Well, if it isn't the _Number One Shorty_ ," Tanaka laughs, heartily. His backpack hangs from one shoulder over his black, unzipped uniform. Under it is a violently green shirt that has to be against school dress code. The pair finish heading toward me, almost swaggering.

I laugh, sticking my tongue out at him and putting my hands on my hips. Nishinoya, also with his backpack slung over one shoulder over an unzipped jacket, laughs as well, painfully slapping a hand onto my shoulder.

"Well, Ryuu? Aren'tcha gonna tell little Shorty, here?" Nishinoya asks Tanaka, turning to him with a sly grin.

The other dons a similar grin before relaxing his face and pressing his palms together in front of his chest. He looks very... 'Buddha-esque'. "Of course, Noya-san. That was always my intention, as his brother."

Nishinoya snorts, turning back to me, one eyebrow raised. I blink, cocking my head, hands still on my hips. "Brother? What do you mean?"

"Brother _in law,_ " Tanaka corrects, grandly, sweeping himself into a semi-graceful bow.

Seeing as Tanaka is never going to elaborate, Nishinoya laughs loudly, clapping him on the back, before turning once again to me. "Ryuu's sister and Kageyama's sister have a date. Today, in fact!"

My eyes widen, and my hands fall from my hips. An unbidden but not unwelcome smile spreads across my face. "Really!? That's great!"

Tanaka straightens, laughing and ruffling my hair while Nishinoya grins, his eyes full of chaos. But I mean less about Saeko and Miwa going on a date, though I truly am happy for them, and more about the fact that Tanaka and Nishinoya don't even blink at the fact that they're both girls. _I_ _hope_ _they'll react the same when Yama and_ _I_ _tell the team about us..._ Then, however, I frown.

"But... how does that make us brothers?"

"Well, y'know, since you and Kageyama are a pair..?" Tanaka manages to explain, as if it were obvious, without his smile shrinking.

I choke.

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

_(Kageyama's POV)_

The Karasuno High building sits on the grounds, awakening from its slumber, and watching with hooded eyes as I make my way towards it. The carton of milk I clutch in one hand, jaw clenched around the straw, tastes of strawberries and reminds me of Shouyou. The flowers that dot the grass along my path, though once jarring, shine like all those different colors in his eyes. The rainy sleepiness reminds me of that one Friday, when it was raining so hard Shouyou and I had to share an umbrella.

Students and classmates brush past me, laughing and talking about something or other. Instead of glowering or snapping at them, I simply look up at the school that grows ever closer, swallowing another gulp of strawberry milk. My heart flutters, and the corner of my mouth twitches, as I see bright orange leaping high into the air, loudly. It quickly disappears, though, into the doorway.

I gulp down the rest of the milk with a satisfied sigh, and toss the carton into the trashcan by the entrance as I pass. Here we go. _I only have to wait until practice. Then I can see Shouyou. And we can talk to Sugawara-San._

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

_(Hinata's POV)_

"H-how did you know!?" I exclaim, though trying to remain quiet, glancing around me.

Tanaka and Nishinoya raise their eyebrows at me, amused. "As if you'd think we wouldn't notice! You two've been eyeing each other since you first met. Honestly, it's worse than Suga-san and Daichi!"

I blink again. "Suga-san and Daichi? What about them? And 'Yama and I have only been together since--"

Just then, the loud chime over the loudspeaker begins going off, signaling that students need to start heading to class. Nishinoya sighs dramatically, rucking up his backpack. Suddenly, Tanaka gasps, grabbing the other's arm.

_"Was that Kiyoko-san?"_ he whispers loudly to him, pointing off in the distance from where I'd just come.

  
Nishinoya whips his head around as I laugh, this time, nearly forgetting to be confused.

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

_(Sugawara's POV)_

I watch through the barred windows of the gym, clutching them tightly so I don't fall, as the trio depart, heading to the school. Then all three of us drop down, though Asahi takes a half second longer. We stand there for a moment, then can't help but snort, bursting into laughter, Daichi's being the loudest.

"Is it really that obvious!?" I ask Asahi incredulously as we grab our bags from the floor.

He puts his hand on the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Well..."

Daichi laughs again, turning to me and quirking an eyebrow, making me roll my eyes. "Then I suppose we may as well talk to the team," he shrugs as we head out the door.

Daichi and I stand by as Asahi nervously shuts the doors behind us, leaving on the lights. The air smells thick with rain. "Shouldn't we talk to Kageyama and Hinata about themselves, first?" I ask Daichi, smiling.

He hums thoughtfully as Asahi rejoins us. "Alright."


	65. Plots and Bananas

_(Hinata's POV)_

The clock ticks imperceptibly slowly as I tap the wooden floor in time with the second hand. My hands hold up my chin, elbows propped on the desk, as I try in vain to pay attention to the teacher. I don't want to put any more pressure on Yachi than I already have in the past with the constant tutoring.

I'm seated at my one-person desk smack-dab in the middle of the classroom, surrounded by rows of students. The teacher, at the foot of his desk, gestures vaguely at the chalkboard behind him, holding a book in the other hand. Though he is animated in his way of teaching, and many are watching him with enthusiasm, I can't stay focused on him for more than a few minutes.

My gaze drifts away, creeping around the classroom, studying objects and people. His voice morphs into a low drone - and it's near impossible to wrench my gaze away and back to him. It takes a moment longer to begin processing what he's saying, once more. It's like trying not to fall asleep: try as I might, I grow used to every tactic, every position.

I grit my teeth and tear my eyes away from a poster on the wall to my right, back to the teacher. He speaks of math, numbers and equations and conversions, but my head is full of clouds. My brain screams at me to focus, kicking and sobbing and wrenching my face back towards him and I'm so _exhausted-_ -

The bell rings. My breath lets out in a long sigh, equally disappointed and relieved. I quickly finish writing the equations on the board, as well as the page numbers the teacher shouts out as half of the class leaves. The other half stay in the classroom, pulling out their own _bento_. Only now is it difficult to tear my gaze away from him, as he erases the board. Then he packs his suitcase and walks around the edge of the room, slipping out the door.

I stand, stretching, before crouching by my bag to dig for my lunch. I smile a little at the sight of Kageyama's hoodie stuffed in there with it. Suddenly a shadow looms over me and I shiver, slowly turning to look up.

"Asahi-san?"

The tall teammate in question jumps, then rubs the back of his neck, donning a sheepish smile. He nearly knocks free his loosely tied-up hair as he does so. "Ah, hello Hinata! Sorry, I-I didn't mean to startle you..."

I stand up on my toes, grinning. "It's fine! What're you doing in my homeroom, anyways?"

Students pass by in the hall outside the door, chattering. Classmates in the room talk and laugh as they begin eating, filling the room with delicious smells, making my mouth water. I snap my attention back to Asahi. His cream sweater atop the usual white button-up contrasts with his near-constant blush. The only time he isn't anxious is on the court, it seems.

"Oh," he chuckles a little, his kind eyes glancing off to the side of me, nervously. "Suga wanted me to tell- to tell you that he wants to eat with you today, in your home-homeroom..."

"Ah! Okay, thanks Asahi-san!" I say, bowing to him. My stomach growls again at the mention of food, though also flutters nervously. _Why does Sugawara-san, of all people, want to eat lunch with me? Does he_ _know_ _about_ _Kageyama and I, too?_

"It's no-no problem!" he stammers, embarrassed from the gesture.

I straighten and grin. He fidgets nervously for a moment, then turns around and slips out the classroom door as well.

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

_(Asahi's POV)_

Heart pounding, I let out a breath as I watch students pass me by. The wall at my back presses into me; cold, but grounding. I deflate a little, exhausted from the interaction off the court. _I wish_ _I_ _could bring the confidence that the court gives with me. That_ _would_ _make talking to people so much easier; even the ones_ _I_ _already know well..._

"Asahi! Nice cover!" a familiar, smooth voice laughs from my right.

I jump, whirling around. "Ah, sorry Suga, I forgot- I forgot you were there..."

Sugawara pushes himself off the wall he was leaning against, still grinning. He chops my head, harshly, making me jump again and wince. "Nevermind that, you did good out there!"

"Ow..." I mutter, rubbing my skull, but a crooked smile of my own spreads across my face. I readjust my bag and follow Suga as passes me, heading off down the hall.

His voice carries to me as he talks. "You only stammered a little bit - which makes sense since it was just Hinata - but I'm still proud! Now, I'll go talk to Kageyama. You can go eat with Nishinoya now, if you'd like; I'll eat with the first-year duo!"

I hum to let him know I'm listening, but am still flushed from the compliment. My hands fidget in my pockets, and Yuu's laughter and sharp eyes cut through my thoughts in my head. My face turns a shade darker as I struggle to refocus on Suga.

He's stopped talking, and we've reached what is presumably Kageyama's homeroom. I don't ask how he knows both of their room numbers. Realizing he's waiting for me to reply, I jump, looking up at him.

"S-Sorry?"

He laughs, gray hair shining. "I asked if you were going to go talk to Kageyama, or go find Nishinoya!"

I fidget again. "Well..." _I want to find Yuu._ "I..."

"It's alright," Suga says, all-knowing, as always. "Go find him!"

I manage to smile at him, and give him a small bow. Then I turn, getting my bearings, before rushing off.

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_(Kageyama's POV)_

I sit at my desk, furrowing at my lunch, slightly pink. Miwa has, apparently, decided to slip an entire banana in my backpack. This is not the strangest part, however. That title is earned by the fact that on the banana is a crude drawing of a face, complete with almost obsessively large nostrils. I frown deeper.

"Oh, Kageyama~!" a voice sings from the classroom doorway.


	66. Rooftop Garden

I jerk my head up, wrenching my gaze from the banana on my desk, and direct it to the classroom door. I blink, still unused to not wearing glasses again. A few classmates look up as well, either at me or the figure in the door.

"...Sugawara-san?" I ask, as he grins. His kind face shines almost as bright as Shouyou's - or maybe it's just the gray hair. My leg bounces.

He walks towards me, hands in his black pants' pockets. "Yup! Sorry for dropping by your homeroom so suddenly, but I had to ask: would you like to eat lunch with me today?"

I go still. "What?"

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

_(Nishinoya's POV)_

"See you later!" I call to a classmate, grinning wildly as I leave the homeroom. I turn my head forward, only to immediately bump into something large and knitted. Letting out a small shout of surprise, I jump back, _bento_ in one hand and the other held up protectively.

"O-oh, not again..." the tall shape stammers, flustered. It ducks - and reveals itself to be Asahi, flushed and nervous.

"Asahi-san, sorry about that!" I laugh. "I wasn't looking where I was going!"

"No, it's alright!" he says, hands up and reassuring. He glances around at the students who watch him and gulps, before looking back up at me. "Do you want to- want to go..?"

I grin again. "Sure!"

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

_A_ _broom_ _steps,_ _having_ _been stepped on. The others, both in and outside_ _of_ _the supply closet, freeze. I open my mouth and shout words, words and sentences and_ _angry_ _noises of desperation. My lips form_ _around_ _them, but_ _I_ _can't hear anything. The_ _world_ _is muffled and quiet. A_ _shadow_ _darts, and_ _I_ _spin around--_

"Y-Yuu, we're here..."

I pause, grass crunching under my feet, and look up. The sun shines down, but isn't too hot. The high school is on our right, and the field is on our left. I turn around. Asahi stands a few feet behind me, his weight shifting from leg to leg, mostly on his right. The blond lock of hair swings on my forehead.

"Are you okay?" he asks, quietly. His eyebrows scrunch up in worry.

"Yeah, yeah, I- I was just remembering something," I say, shrugging; then I grin. "Well? Come on!"

I hop into action and dart past him, quickly shoving open the door. A familiar set of curved, metal stairs greets me. Without hesitation, I grab the railing and swing myself around and up the few first steps. Behind me, Asahi yelps before scrambling after me. My grin doesn't fade.

The stairwell clangs and rattles as I dash up it, past another gray, metal door for every floor in the high school. Red flashes every now and then in my vision: EXIT signs, red rubber-gripped door handles, emergency instruction signs, and fire extinguishers in glass cases. Clanging sounds out behind me, as well, as Asahi follows me up, panting quietly.

Finally, though, I reach the last landing, and the final door greets me at the dead end. The brick walls of the short, narrow hallway are covered in bright, ever-changing doodles and graffiti. I let out a breath, waiting for Asahi to catch up. He emerges, wheezing now, and I grin again.

"How- do you- have- so much- _stamina!?"_ he gasps, nearly doubled over.

I laugh, opening the door. Bright light streams in, making me wince. _The roof._ Tan concrete scrapes under our shoes as we cross to our usual corner, on the other side of the large air conditioning unit. A slight breeze makes my lock of hair sway (the rest stays in place, with the power of an entire handful of hair gel).

At last, we sit. Well, I do. I lean back against the raised edge of the roof, eating out of my _bento_. This is one of the few times I actually sit still, and for good reason, too. As I eat, Asahi mills about, humming and tending to the small garden he keeps up here of what he calls "succulents". All I know is they look like cacti, and cacti are awesome.

His face is relaxed as he hums, calm but attentive as he walks along the rows, looking down at each plant carefully. They're all on old crates we almost threw out of the storage closet in the gym, but Asahi managed to stop us. He didn't tell us what he was using them for, but obviously I found out eventually.

_"Y-Yuu."_

_I'd turned, surprised he'd spoken to me first. "Asahi-san?"_

_"I want to- want to show y-you something. I mean, if that's- that's okay..."_

_I'd grinned at his anxious face,_ _clapping_ _his shoulder reassuringly. "Sure thing!"_

_A little_ _while_ _later, I'd found myself on the roof,_ _watching_ _Asahi describe to me each of the plants he kept. Coming up_ _here_ _seemed to be the only rule he didn't mind breaking, as much. The janitor_ _comes_ _here every_ _other_ _week or so,_ _cleaning_ _up trash and washing off_ _whatever_ _graffiti Asahi hadn't gotten to, but never reported the plants._

_Asahi stuttered a little as he spoke, but his face was bright and excited, and he gestured often_ _to_ _illustrate what he was_ _describing_ _. I couldn't help but grin. Ever since then, unless one or both of us had different plans, we'd_ _come_ _up here to eat lunch_ _every_ _day. Since they were_ _succulents_ _, they didn't mind being left alone for a little while._

Shaking myself into the present, I realize Asahi is speaking. I blink, setting down my near-empty _bento_ and listening to what he's saying.

"I'll need a cover, some- some sort of plastic sheet, m-maybe, to keep them from drowning since it's raining a lot- raining a lot more lately and they can't take that much rain, and I-I-I can't let them die, but where would I get that sheet, I don't know where- where I'd get it, maybe the shop or the dumpster or the storage closet a-at the gym or--"

"Asahi-san!" I laugh when he jumps, and I stand and move to join him. "I'll get you something; don't worry about it, alright?"

He fidgets, smiling a little. "Oh, o-okay..."


	67. Happy For You

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

_(Kageyama's POV)_

"So! Kageyama, Hinata--" Sugawara starts, but is quickly interrupted.

"Suga-san, why's 'Ya-" I kick Shouyou from under the desk. "Why's Kageyama here? And why'd you wanna eat lunch with us? And--"

We're sat in Shouyou's homeroom, him and I across from each other at one desk. Sugawara sits facing backwards in the desk in front of ours. The room is about half-full, though nobody is seated at the closest desks. Shouyou has long-since inhaled his lunch, but I still absentmindedly sip from my second milk box. I don't touch the banana.

This is the first time I've seen Shouyou up close, today, and with the contacts. When I'd first walked into the classroom with Sugawara, brow furrowed in confusion, he'd bounded up to me, grinning and asking me all about the missing glasses. It was a good while before he was satisfied, but he still hasn't stopped "sneaking" glances at me this whole time.

Sugawara holds his hands up, trying to get him to slow down his questions, but he has a gentle smile on his face. "Hinata, slow down," he sighs. "I wanted to talk to you both, so I decided to do it at the same time."

"Well?" I ask, immediately wincing at my sharper-than-intended tone. The other two don't seem to notice, but Shouyou buzzes with anticipation, his orange hair practically fluttering.

"Well," Sugawara starts again, his voice dropping slightly quieter as he leans forward. "I wanted to let you know that Daichi and I are together!"

My jaw drops. _"What?"_

On the other hand, Shouyou is ecstatic. "I KNEW IT!" he exclaims, standing and smacking his hands down onto the desk. Even with all that confidence, sometimes he forgets how powerful he really is, despite his - lack of - height.

I kick him under the desk again, harder this time, still staring at Sugawara with my jaw hanging open. _"Really?"_

He rubs the back of his neck, brushing aside onlookers with a dismissive wave. "Well, yes, I sort of thought you guys would be the first to figure it out," he laughs.

"Well, no, I--"

"I knew it! _I knew it!_ The way you two look at each other - but I wasn't sure!" Shouyou blabbers, slowly sitting back down with his hands gesturing wildly around him.

I sigh from having been cut off, but the corner of my mouth twitches as I watch Shouyou. I prop my chin onto my hand, resting my elbow on the desk. Out of the corner of my eye (which I can finally see clearly through, thanks to the contacts), Sugawara raises his eyebrows at me, smiling even wider. I pretend I didn't see him, heart pounding nervously.

He laughs again. "I--"

Of course, he's interrupted yet again. _"Does that mean we can actually call you Sugamama and Dadchi!?"_ Shouyou gasps.

Sugawara's silver eyebrows fly up, higher than they were a second ago. Even I go still. Then he snorts, before bursting into laughter. "So _that's_ what you guys call us?" he tries to catch his breath, fanning his face. "Well, I mean, sure! I was going to tell the rest of the team soon, I just wanted you guys to know first!"

Shouyou grins, though I wonder why Sugawara wanted to tell us first. " _Gwah!_ I'm so happy for you two!" My heart flutters at his bright, unwavering smile. The genuinity of the way he expresses how he feels sparks something within me. I suppose it always has, really; I just didn't know what it was.

"Why, thank you, Hinata!" He stands, his grin turning into a sly one as he simply begins walking away. "I'm happy for you, as well!"

By the time I realize what he'd said, he's out the door and gone. My leg jerks, and I turn to Shouyou so fast I can almost hear my neck crack. My brow is furrowed, but more in confusion than anything.

_"Did you tell him?"_ we ask each other at the same time, suddenly.

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

_(Shouyou's POV)_

The rest of the day passes without much incident, though my mind is constantly drifting back to the conversation Kageyama and I had with Sugawara at lunch.

_He and Daichi are together_ _! I can call them Sugamama and Dadchi! But why did he tell Kageyama and_ _I_ _first? And what did he mean when he_ _said_ _he_ _was_ _happy for me, too? Does he know about us?_

I almost don't register the bell ring, signaling the end of school and the start of after-school club activities. After a moment, all other thoughts leave my head; all I can think of is finally, _finally_ spiking the ball in the court again.

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

_(Kageyama's POV)_

I make my way down the damp concrete path, raindrops striking the metal canopy above every so often. My shoes scrape the ground, and the hand that isn't in my pocket is gripping the strap on my backpack. The volleyball keychain jingles, giving a song to the ever-so-slowly dimming light

A crow caws from a bush and leaps into the air with a burst of feathers and wings, making me jump. Somewhere behind me, somebody laughs. I whip around - and relax the moment I realize who it is.

"Shou," I say, greeting him. I flush. Being at school has thrown off the way I talk to him, and all I can think of when I look at him is the last time he pressed his lips to mine. My heart skips.

"Hi, 'Yama," he replies, still grinning but now matching my nervousness.

I look at the gym a couple dozen feet ahead of me, then back at him. "You think I've won this time, or..."

His whole body tenses, and he gasps, before shoving his foot into the ground and throwing himself forward. _"Oh, no you don't!!"_

Obviously, we're both lying in a panting heap outside the gym door a moment later.

"How many times am I gonna find you two laying here, already exhausted!?"


	68. Stretching Stories

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~

_(Nishinoya's POV)_

_I grip Asahi's jacket,_ _shouting_ _. Only a small amount of light_ _streams_ _in through the_ _open_ _closet_ _door, but it's enough to see his shock. However, besides the shock,_ _I_ _also see cowardice. Fear. Frustration. Surrender. He's lost the will to fight._

_He doesn't say a word._

_I shout and_ _yell_ _,_ _gripping_ _tighter to his jacket,_ _shoving_ _him back. He grits his teeth, but refuses to meet my eyes. Rage boils_ _within_ _me, and my ears become deaf. Tears stream_ _down_ _my face, and_ _I_ _struggle to keep my voice clear. The loud_ SNAP! _of a broomstick snapping under his weight jars me back to_ _reality_ _._

_I blink, breathing hard, my grip loosening on his jacket. As soon as it does, he shoves my hand away, pushing past me. Sugawara gasps, darting away to try to stop Asahi from leaving the gym. I stand in the supply_ _closet_ _, alone, staring at my hands. They become_ _damp_ _as tears fall one after another onto the open palms._

_"Nishinoya."_

"Nishinoya-senpai!"

I jump and whirl around, shoes squeaking on the gym floor. I've already put on my grin, although pained. Hinata stands there, bright orange hair almost painful to look at under the gym lights I still can't quite get over the fact that we're pretty much eye level. He fidgets with the hem of his shirt, looking at me, his eyebrows drawn.

"Are you okay, senpai?"

My grin falters. I look back over my shoulder at the storage closet for a moment, relaxing the fists I realized I'd been clenching. Then I turn back to Hinata.

"Of course I am! Come on, let's get back to the others."

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_(Hinata's POV)_

I watch Nishinoya bound past me with a grin, seemingly fired up, but I still can't get the itch out of the back of my head. But I can't worry about that right now; I smack my cheeks, letting out a deep breath. _All_ _I_ _have_ _to worry about right now is..._

My heart skips a beat as I see Kageyama across the gym, holding a shoulder as he stretches his arms. For some reason, he jolts and quickly looks towards me. I jump, letting out a strangled sound.

"Dumbass, get over here and practice receives," he sighs, shaking his head and taking the volleyball offered by Yachi.

"R-right! Sorry!"

I rush over, embarrassed. _That isn't what he'd normally say... it'd usually be_ _something_ _like "Dumbass! What're you doing all the way over there!? Get your ass over here and practice your awful receives!"_ I glance up at the others as I get into position, keeping my waist low and my arms relaxed and open.

Sugawara and Daichi are off to the side, toe-touching and talking quietly at the same time. Nishinoya and Tanaka try in vain to get Kiyoko to look at them stretching in model-like poses. Asahi is stretching his arms nearby, looking mildly flustered. Narita and Kinoshita are listening to Ennoshita tell some long story about the past week as they stretch absentmindedly. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi are the closest to Kageyama and I, though their backs are to us as they warm up, as well. The gym is filled with quiet conversation and laughter, and the occasional squeak of a shoe.

Nobody noticed Kageyama's strange word choice - not even, it appears, Tsukishima, who I'd have thought would've teased him about it to no end. I look back at Sugawara, who catches my gaze with a smile. Then he glances at Daichi, smile growing. I suddenly remember our conversation at lunch, and a grin spreads across my own face.

"Oi. Stop daydreaming."

"S-sorry!"

His mouth twitches, though, as he tries not to smile. My heart skips a beat, and I quickly look away from his lips. He takes a step and tosses the ball into the air before jumping up and spiking it towards me. I grit my teeth and press my wrists together, hunching to receive the ball before it hits the ground. The ball strikes my forearms - and bounces away to my left.

Kageyama sighs, but is interrupted by Daichi, who clears his throat. The others, who'd been individually practicing as well, look up before getting into place around him in a semi-circle. Kageyama and I join them, looking at Daichi. He crosses his arms over his bright yellow sports bib that boasts the number 'one' and looks at us.

"The coach isn't here yet, but we don't need him to start practice. We'll begin with serving--"

"Daichi!" Sugawara says, crossing his arms as well. His silver hair glistens, and although his brow is furrowed, a small smile also dons his face. He seems incapable of making a truly angry expression. "Aren't we going to tell them?"

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

Earlier, the gym hadn't been this quiet. Tanaka had laughed at Kageyama and I laying on the ground, panting, and unlocked the door. Nishinoya wasn't far behind. Then the second years, Ennoshita, Narita, and Kinoshita, showed up, with the third years, Asahi, Daichi, and Sugawara, just after.

By the time Tsukishima and Yamaguchi walked in (soon followed by Kiyoko and Yachi), the gym as already loud and filled with laughter and chatter. Though Daichi tried to calm us down, everybody had something to say about the past week as they changed into gym clothes.

Kageyama and I managed to avoid talking about it too much: Kageyama said mumbled something about getting glasses and contacts. I stumbled over the story of running into Kuroo, Kenma, Oikawa, _and_ Iwaizumi all at the same time in town (conveniently leaving out Kageyama). Nobody noticed any inconsistencies, though, and were simply shocked at my encounter.

Yamaguchi talked about how he and Tsukishima had binge-watched every one of the Japanese subtitled Harry Potter movies (with a "Shut up, Yamaguchi" followed by a "Sorry, Tsukki").

The third years had simply worked on posters for the club most of the week, with Kiyoko and Yachi's help, as well as Ennoshita. The other two second years didn't say much.

Nishinoya and Tanaka had spent the whole week switching back and forth between each other's houses, playing every videogame they had (though I couldn't talk).

After that, it was just stretching, with the occasional burst of laughter, usually from Tanaka or Yamaguchi (though the latter was a lot quieter). Then Nishinoya rose to his feet, moving to the water bottles at the wall of the gym. On his way, though, he stopped, staring at the storage closet. He was so unnervingly quiet for so long that I couldn't stop myself from getting up as well and moving behind him.

"Nishinoya-senpai!"

~•°•°----------------------°•°•~


	69. Gay Muffins

"Shouldn't we tell them?"

Daichi clears his throat again, an unusual blush dusting his cheeks. My heart pounds in anticipation, and I glance up at Kageyama. His brow is furrowed as he looks at Daichi, listening intently. His facial expression, once scary, now seems a bit... endearing, now that I know it's just one of concentration. I fight back a giggle, swallowing hard.

"Yes. Well. Sugawara and I decided it best if we told you guys sooner rather than later... So--"

"Are you getting divorced!?" Nishinoya exclaims. A strangled sound escapes me as I whip around to look at him. He genuinely looks shocked and worried.

Beside him, Tanaka all but bursts into tears. "Who's gonna take care of us!? Your _children!?"_

Asahi can't help but grin as well, rubbing the back of his neck. Yamaguchi snickers, covering his mouth with his hand. ("Shut up, Yamaguchi" followed by a "Sorry, Tsukki") The second years lean on each other for support, nearly falling to the floor from laughing so hard. Kageyama snorts, before quickly smacking a hand over his mouth as well.

I look back at Sugawara and Daichi, both of whose eyebrows are nearly in their hairline. I hiccup, then begin howling with laughter.

 _"Sugamama! Dadchi! Don't get divorced!"_ I cry between bouts of giggles. Kageyama tries to grip my hair, but all he can manage through the silent laughter is letting his hand fall on top of my head.

Sugawara bursts out laughing as well, as Daichi scratches the back of his head. "Well."

"What they're trying to tell you," Tsukishima begins, talking loudly over the rest of the team's laughter. "Is that we already know."

"I figured as much," Sugawara manages to say after struggling to calm himself.

"Coach Ukai!" Yachi calls. Her high-pitched voice, though quieter than ours, rings throughout the gym and silences us.

She and Kiyoko are standing at the open gym doors. After a moment, they step back, and of course, the coach steps in. His blond hair reflects the gym lights similar to the way Sugawara's does. He yawns before turning to us.

"Ah, sorry, did I interrupt?" Ukai asks, suddenly apologetic. He steps in all the way, bowing slightly to Kiyoko and a flustered Yachi.

"No, Coach, we were just about to start--"

"We were just coming out to the team," interrupts Sugawara.

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_(Oikawa's POV)_

"What?"

I'd finally, _finally_ gotten Iwa-chan to sit at the kitchen counter after a _long_ time of pleading. This is my only chance; I can't mess this up. He glares at me, arms crossed and on the counter.

"Well?"

I quickly rearrange my expression into a serious one, looking down with a small frown. My fingers intertwine with each other, mocking nervousness.

"Iwa-chan, I..." I gulp, looking up at him through my eyelashes and letting out an overly large breath. "I'm gay."

_"SHITTYKAWA IF YOU DO THIS ONE LAST TIME, I SWEAR I'M BREAKING UP WITH YOU."_

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_(Kuroo's POV)_

"Yo, Kenma."

He doesn't look up from his game; only makes a small noise of acknowledgment. I stare up at the ceiling from the couch, lying flat on my back with my hands on my stomach. Kenma's in the chair a little to my right, probably with his legs over one of the arms, playing some video game.

"I've got an important question."

"Hm."

I take a deep breath, making sure to keep it nervous and rattly. "I don't want this to... mess up our relationship. Or our friendship. Our our teammate... ship. I've just been wondering for a long time, it's stuck in my head, I just can't stop _thinking_ about it. I really need your honest answer, alright? And again, I don't want this to ruin anything." I ramble, letting nervousness into my tone. I don't dare look at him, however much I'd like to see his expression.

"What, Kuro?" he asks, quietly. I can hear the worry, but also the apprehension.

"I just... I need to know, Kenma. Do you..." I take another deep breath. "Do you know the muffin man?"

I don't know how long it is until I'm conscious again.

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_(Kageyama's POV)_

"We were just coming out to the team," says Sugawara, grinning.

Shouyou giggles beside me, and my hand itches to hold his. Instead, I drop my hand on the top of his head, feeling the soft, orange curls between my fingers.,Coach Ukai's eyes widen at Sugawara's words. The rest of the team is quiet.

 _I'm surprised Sugawara and Daichi are coming out to the team today, when Shouyou_ _and_ _I_ _were_ _planning_ _on_ _coming_ _out to Sugawara. Did he... already know?_ My dream flashes through my head, and I grit my teeth. _They won't react like that. They didn't._ The silence of the gym presses in all around me, making it hard to breathe.

"So were we!"

I inhale a sharp breath, turning towards the voice. Nishinoya bears a large grin, and he's struck a pose with one thumb pointed at his chest. A few feet away from him, Asahi looks like he's about to pass out.

"Asahi here is my big, anxious boyfriend!" he laughs.

"Yuu-!" Asahi chokes out.

Tanaka falls to his knees, but I can't see his facial expression. _"Who will vie for Kiyoko's attention with me!?"_ he cries, hands open in agony and face turned towards the ceiling.

"I still will!" Nishinoya calls over the chaos. "Kiyoko is still our goddess!"

I wince, surprised, though some part of me tries to laugh. Shouyou does, loudly, doubling over and nearly collapsing. The gym is filled with movement and laughter, though I can somehow hear Tsukishima sigh over it all. I can only stand there, blinking, utterly shocked and confused and... strangely comforted. My hands fidget at my sides.

Small hands yank my arm, nearly sending me toppling. "Gah--!"

"Should we, too?" Shouyou's voice asks, quietly.

I right myself and turn to him, still hunched to be eye-level. My brow furrows. "You mean, come out to the team?"

He nods, brown eyes bright and orange hair bouncing. His grin still lights up his face, and he's breathless from laughing. I have to try hard to not look at his lips. Teammates pass us, laughing and chattering, to talk to Nishinoya and Asahi (and possibly Tanaka). A quick glance tells me that Ukai is still standing there, open-mouthed.

"Well--"


	70. My Halo

"Hitoka-chan."

The words uttered from Kiyoko's lips were quiet, but the room fell silent as soon as they were spoken. I turn, shutting my jaw that was open in the middle of speaking, and look where everybody else was staring. Startled, Yachi looks up at Kiyoko, cheeks pink. The latter brings her hand up under her chin, gracefully letting her eyes fall closed, before--

I turn away, flushed, but the gasps of many of the rest of the team (including Shouyou) make it clear what had happened. Tanaka, of course, wails yet again. I glance over just in time to see him throwing himself to the floor, sobbing. Nishinoya falls to his knees, one hand rubbing Tanaka's shoulder comfortingly, the other covering his mouth in shock. Tears stream down his face, as well.

Yamaguchi, though grinning, moves to sit by the water bottles, where Tsukishima appears to have been for a while (a "Shut up, Yamaguchi" followed by a "Sorry, Tsukki"). The others are either grinning, red faced, stunned into silence, or some combination of the three.

Ukai simply slumps down onto a bench, propping his chin with one hand and holding his phone in his other. He seems to have resigned to the circumstances, and is waiting it out. I figure he's reading up on some volleyball team, or something like that.

~•°•°-------------------°•°•~

_(Ukai's POV)_

_Me: SENSEICHAN YOU WONT BELIEVE IT_

_☆Sensei~chan☆: What is it, Ukai-kun?_

_Me: FIRSTOFALL DROP THE KUN, I TOLD YOU THIS_   
_SECOND, MY WHOLE TEAM'S GAY_

_☆Sensei~chan☆: Pardon?_

_Me:_   
_(229.77 KB, 320x240, 0:12)_   
_LMFAO THERE'S LESBIANS TOO, LOOK AT ALL THE BOYS' FACES THIS IS GOLD_

_☆Sensei~chan☆: Heh, yes. But you can't exactly talk, Ukai-kun._

_Me: DROP THE KUN_   
_AND TRUE_   
_ANYWAYS UH I WAS THINKING_

_☆Sensei~chan☆: Capslock, Ukai._

_Me: OH my bad_   
_anyways_ _uh that reminded me, d'you wanna go to that restaurant that recently opened a_ _couple_ _streets away?_

_☆Sensei~chan☆: Tonight?_

_Me: if you want~_

_☆Sensei~chan☆: Sure, Ukai-kun. But don't you have a_ _team_ _to coach, right now?_

_Me: OH SH--_

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_(Kageyama's POV)_

Yeah, he's probably reading something really boring.

Familiar small hands grab my ears, yanking me down. My eyes go wide as my lips press against something warm and soft and _comforting_. My eyes fall shut with a small sigh, and my hands come up to Shouyou's sides. The world around me falls away, and all I can feel is Shouyou.

His mouth works against mine, and tastes like oranges and cinnamon. _I wonder why?_ He hums a little - and the sudden shout from Nishinoya brings reality crashing down. My heart pounds. As much as I want to keep kissing him, unaware of those around me, my heart can't take it. I pull away with a _pop!_ , pulling my hands away as well.

Shouyou lets out a small gasp as we part. I glance at him sideways, unable to hide the small smile on my face. He sees it, obviously, and grins. Somebody wolf whistles.

"Oh, shut it," I sigh, looking up at the team.

The sight of every one of them staring at me (except Tsukishima, who's scrolling on his phone with his headphones on) nearly makes me lose my nerve. Instead, I reach out and yank Shouyou's hair without needing to look. His exclamation breaks the silence, as I'd hoped it would. Somebody snorts, somebody bursts into laughter, a few sigh. But most of all, Sugawara grins wildly at me, holding high a thumbs up.

I look away, flushed. Ukai is back on his phone.

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

_(Ukai's POV)_

_Me: WERE WE REALLY THIS GAY WHEN WE WERE IN THE VOLLEY CLUB!?_

_☆Sensei~chan☆: I don't know, Ukai-kun;_ _I_ _was never in a volleyball club, much_ _less_ _with your team._

_Me: UGH I JUST O M F G SENSEICHAN, THE FREAK DUO JUST MADE OUT IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE TEAM_   
_THE FREAK_   
_DUO_

_☆Sensei~chan☆: I'd have thought they'd be the first to do that._

_Me: WTF WHAT DO YOU MEAN_

_☆Sensei~chan☆: You have to be very perceptive to be a setter, Ukai-kun; are you sure that's the_ _position_ _you played in high school?_

_Me: WAIT WHAT. PERCEPTIVE WHAT DO YOU MEAN_   
_WAS IT OBVIOUS??_   
_HAVE THEY BEEN GAY THIS WHOLE TIME_   
_SENSEI CHAN_   
_HEY_   
_UGH_

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_(Kageyama's POV)_

Tanaka rises from the floor as if resurrected, and bounds over with an almost evil grin. I flinch, but he only claps my back, laughing.

"Glad to see you've finally figured out what 'emotions' are!" he says, too loudly.

I glare at him, and he backs away, hands up but still grinning. Daichi has his head in his hands. Ennoshita comes up and drags Tanaka farther away, sighing. The other two second years are grinning.

"You caught an evil fish, Hinata!" Yamaguchi calls from beside Tsukishima with a grin ("Shut up, Yamaguchi" followed by a "Sorry, Tsukki").

I glare again at him before letting out a groan and turning around so my back is to the team. Shouyou is the only one in my field of vision - and he's grinning. Wide and bright and it nearly hurts my eyes because I'll never get used to it, even if it's familiar. He _glows_ , and I can see his halo and his wings and he looks at me and my heart _stops._

The world around us falls away again. It crumbles away, the edges of my vision going soft. All that matters is him. All there is in this universe is just us, and all the words sent in our locked gaze.

I have no halo. I've never had one. I've never been good or pure enough to have one. Only him. Nobody else has a halo but him. He's the only one to deserve one. My angel.

_I don't have a halo, so be mine for me. Be my halo._


	71. Thanks for the Memories

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Two months later_

_Christmas Day (Present)_

_(Kageyama’s POV)_

“TOBIO, STOP GIVING YOURSELF A MANICURE AND COME SEE THE PRESENTS!”

I jump, clutching the nail file. _Guilty._ Then a smile spreads across my face. After tossing the file into my bag, I stand, stretching with a grunt. I pass Shouyou’s mirror on my way to the door, catching a glimpse of my navy blue pajamas. They’re covered with polar bears in various poses and holding various objects, such as presents and candy canes. The top and bottom match.

I step out into the hallway, ducking when I move through the doorway. The hardwood floors send chills up my spine. I make my way down the hall, passing a handful of doors, as well as framed photographs of familiar people and places.

The first is of Shouyou holding up the camera to show the Karasuno volleyball team behind him. The second year trio is in the back with Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. In the middle, Daichi and Sugawara have their hands on the shoulders of a red-faced, but smiling, Asahi. They’re both grinning, as well.

In the front are Tanaka and Nishinoya, of course, with boastful poses. I’m in the front, as well, having been forced forward by the pair. Shouyou’s grin is radiant even through the photo, contrasting my startled expression. He somehow managed to blink for the photo.

The second was taken by Yachi, of the team in the middle of a practice match against Nekoma. Somehow, she found just the right spot that captures both sides of the net equally. The picture is at knee-height, which makes Shouyou’s mid-air figure all the more bizarre.

The Nekoma team has three up to block. The rest are waiting to attempt a receive. In the photo, I stand still part way in the air, having just set the ball right into Shouyou’s swinging palm. Right before the spike.

The third is an old family photo of the Hinata family, from when their dad was still alive. Mr. and Mrs. Hinata are holding a very, very small Shouyou’s hands; all three are laughing. Mrs. Hinata’s free hand is resting on her pregnant belly. It must have been taken only a few months before the accident.

The fourth is a similar photo. But instead of Mr. Hinata and a pregnant belly, Natsu and I are... part of the family. We took the photo with a timer just last week, so the colors are still vivid.

Mrs. Hinata is in the back, her hands on Shouyou and I’s shoulders. Natsu is standing proudly with her hands on her hips in the front. Just above her head, you can just make out our clasped hands. We all bear grins, though mine is slightly smaller and more bashful.

The last is different from the rest. There are two other copies of it: one in my house, and one in Tanaka’s house (though I have copies of most of the other photos, as well). This one is of Tanaka’s sister, Saeko, with her arm around the shoulders of my big sister Miwa’s shoulders.

They’re both grinning at the camera, which is held up high to show what’s behind them: a massive grove of cherry blossom trees. The pink petals litter the ground, decorate the branches, and blow through the air around them, almost magically.

I step out of the hall, the empty but warm kitchen at my left. At my right is the living room: a massive Christmas tree stands by the window, glowing with yellowish lights. The _kotatsu_ was taken out of the hallway closet the other day. Its _futon_ is a pure white with red edges to match the Christmas theme. I itch to sit under it, warmed by the space heater underneath, but I pry my eyes away from it and look around.

Shouyou, having just noticed me, sits up from where he was laying dramatically on the couch. As I move closer to him, his smile gets wider and his eyes get warmer. His pajamas are green (which contrasts almost hilariously with his bright orange hair) with yellow cuffs, reminiscent of an elf.

I push up my glasses, suddenly embarrassed for some reason. My hands clench nervously at my sides, fidgeting with the unfamiliar soft fabric of my pajamas. He watches me shift in place with raised eyebrows for a moment before grabbing my pajama front and pulling me down for a soft but chaste kiss.

“Get a room!”

I jump, turning around to see Natsu sticking her tongue out at me. She must’ve been hiding underneath the _kotatsu’s futon_ when I walked in. Then her face breaks into a grin, and I give her one of my own, albeit sheepish.

Natsu’s eyes go wide when she notices the pile of presents under the tree that I myself had missed at first. It isn’t large, but not small, either. _Plenty for the three of us, as well as a few things for Mrs. Hinata my sister._

My brow furrows when I think of the two. “Shou,” I start, turning him. “Where’s Miwa and your mother?”

He puts on a thoughtful look, but Natsu interrupts us from where she’s standing halfway behind the tree, looking out the window. The light from the setting sun makes her hair glow like burning embers. “There!”

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Did you know:_

A ‘ _kotatsu_ ’ “is a low, wooden table frame covered by a _futon_ , or heavy blanket, upon which a table top sits. Underneath is a heat source... often built into the table itself.”

The ‘ _futon_ ’ is comparable to a cross between the western ‘comforter’ and a mattress.

The heat source, in modern times, is usually a space heater.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

Sure enough, headlights flash into the room for a moment as the family van pulls into the driveway. My small smile returns. Shouyou grins again, as well, and hops up to greet the missing family members. I follow him to the entrance hallway, stepping carefully when Natsu bounds ahead of both of us. Shouyou practically vibrates at my side, impatiently waiting for the doorknob to turn.

It finally does, and three heads, not two, appear in the open doorway, along with a burst of cold air. Mrs. Hinata bustles in first, laughing and greeting us enthusiastically, blocking my view of the unknown blonde for a moment. I press against the wall, letting her pass, and only then do I see who it is.

“Saeko!” Shouyou gasps.

Sure enough, Miwa walks in with Saeko glued to her side. My big sister has on at least three layers, while her girlfriend barely has on enough clothing to cover her arms from the cold. Despite this, both are grinning widely.

“Little Shouyou!” Saeko exclaims, throwing her arms around him. Miwa laughs, and I grin a little, guiding her past the other two and into the kitchen.

After a moment, Saeko bursts in as well, boisterous and happy. Shou trails behind, looking slightly suffocated but similarly elated. Soon, the room is nearly bursting with all the guests.

“Oh, don’t worry! Ryuu should be showing up any moment now - he had to grab something from the van!” Saeko yammers, grinning.

_Yet another guest._ I’m just thankful that Nishinoya is spending the holidays at the Asahi household. A shiver of sympathy darts through me, though, when I try to wonder what that would look like. As if on cue, the front door bursts open again, and Tanaka’s signature shaved head appears. It’s barely visible above the armful of brightly wrapped presents he struggles to hold.

“Gwah!” Prompted by a nudge from his mother, Shouyou darts forward to help lighten the burden.

“Thanks, Hinata!” Tanaka laughs, handing him all he can carry (two boxes). They carry them to the living room, setting it all on the carpet near the Christmas tree. “Seven extra presents! One for Hinata, Miwa, big sis, Kageyama, Natsu, Mrs. Hinata, and me!”

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” I mumble, looking down and pushing up my glasses. A shadow passes over me, and a hand claps my shoulder, hard. I flinch, but can’t help but mimic the grin I see on Tanaka’s face when I look up.

“Of course I did! But man, is it weird to see you blushing,” he laughs.

My grin quickly turns into a glare, but he backs away, still laughing. I sigh and turn around, watching the others bustle around the kitchen. Mrs. Hinata summons bowls of various cookie dough from somewhere - most likely the fridge - and sets them out onto the counter to sit before we prepare it for baking.

Natsu digs around the fridge as well and pulls out a jug of eggnog nearly half her size, struggling under the weight but smiling with rosy cheeks. Shouyou reaches down to help her, but struggles almost as much once he grips the handle. His cheeks puff out and he furrows in concentration, attempting to lift it onto the counter.

I groan and step forward, reaching around and grabbing the jug myself. Raising it up with ease and setting it down on the countertop, I raise my eyebrows at Shouyou. It must barely weigh ten pounds.

He refuses to meet my gaze, instead glaring at the floor with his cheeks still puffed out. I can’t help but laugh a little, quickly covering my mouth. He looks back up and grins at me.

Natsu pulls at my pajama bottoms, gesturing for me to crouch down. She cups her hands around her mouth and leans forward.

_“Get a room,”_ she whispers loudly.

I lean away, grinning, and poke her forehead before standing back up. I glance around as I push up my glasses. Miwa and Saeko are sitting on the living room couch, looking at the latter’s phone screen. I hear them laughing and saying something about Tanaka when he was younger.

Tanaka himself doesn’t hear anything. He’s too busy laughing at something Shouyou said, as they help Mrs. Hinata with dinner. I fidget, not knowing what to do.

“Tobio!” Miwa calls. I turn. She’s waving at me to join the pair in the living room. Saeko grins at me, as well.

I glance back at Shouyou for a moment, who instinctively looks up to lock eyes. He smiles; a confirmation. I turn back around and move to the couch, stepping around the floorboards I know are creaky. I sit at Miwa’s right once I reach them, Saeko staying at her left.

“As I was saying, this is Tanaka when he was…”

I listen to them speak, feeling awkward at first. But I eventually relax into the couch and bring myself to join in on the conversation. I let out a short laugh, every now and then, as we talk.

Still unable to comfortably maintain eye contact with either of them, however, my gaze drifts to the kitchen. I watch Natsu and Shouyou press out shapes in the cookie dough and try to keep Tanaka from eating spoonfuls of it raw. I wonder how they’re managing to cut out any cookies at all.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Did you know:_

In Japan, Christmas is a bit different than in western countries. Since Christianity isn’t the major religion, the holiday is more about loved ones and relationships (like Valentine’s day) than a religion.

In fact, Christmas Eve is often celebrated more than Christmas itself: the former is a day when couples would give each other gifts.

The most common Christmas dinner in Japan is a surprising one: Kentucky Fried Chicken. It originated when foreigners found it difficult to get their hands on turkey; so, they turned to the next best thing. It quickly gained popularity, and is now a widespread custom.

In America, it is a common tradition to bake large batches of cookies and other goods. In Japan, the tradition is slightly different: instead of cookies, they often make sweets such as ‘ _wagashi_ ’. (In this work, Hinata’s father brought over the western tradition.)

‘ _Wagashi_ ’ “are traditional Japanese confections that are often served with green tea, especially the types made of _mochi_ , _anko_ (azuki bean paste), and fruits. Wagashi are typically made from plant-based ingredients.”

‘ _Mochi_ ’ “is Japanese rice cake made of mochigome, a short-grain japonica glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch. The rice is pounded into paste and molded into the desired shape.”

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

After a moment, I notice that the conversation has dwindled. I blink, refocusing myself. Miwa grins, obviously having noticed me staring into the kitchen. _It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her this happy. But she’s been smiling more than ever these last couple of months._

“Go on,” she laughs. “Make us some cookies!”

I bow my head (mostly to Saeko), sheepish for about the billionth time today, and rise from the couch. I cross the room to the kitchen, bringing my leg around to sit on the stool. Once sitting, I cross my arms and lean my elbows on the counter.

Shouyou looks up and smiles; Tanaka takes the chance to shove the spoon into his mouth, far too tall to be within Natsu’s reach. She gasps, determinedly attempting to climb up his legs to yank the spoon out of his mouth.

I roll my eyes at the back of his shaved head, unable to wipe off a smile, and look down at the trays in front of us. Half of them are already covered in all shapes and sizes of ready-to-be-baked cookies.

There’re gingerbread men, Santa hats, presents, Christmas trees, stars, circular ornaments, stockings, and simple shapes, among others. They’re messy, but not sloppy; more… comforting. _Home-made_.

Shouyou shoves the bowls of cookie dough farther into the center of the counter, so I can reach them better. Then he hands me a cutting board to do my cookie-cutting on. The bin of said cookie-cutters is shifted last, and I can now see just how wide a variety of shapes there are.

“Thanks, Shou,” I mumble, peering into the bin, lost in my head. He giggles.

_This family. Despite having been… part of it, I suppose, for about two months now, I doubt I’ll ever grow used to it. Everybody’s so kind and happy and positive. Miwa’s amazing, and I’m thankful she’s my sister, but it’s so different. We’re siblings: we fight, we get mad at each other, and it’s a different relationship, especially when she’s been my only guardian for so long._

_This household, this family, is almost too good to be true. It’s like heaven here; no wonder Shouyou is so adamant in his beliefs and ambitions. He has a home to fall back to, people to comfort him and promise him a future full of happiness no matter what happens. He’s confident, and for good reason. I don’t know what I’ve done to be allowed so wholeheartedly into a place like this._

_Whatever it was, I’ll make sure their efforts to keep me comfortable don’t go unrewarded, or unworthy. I want to do everything I can for this family. For Shouyou. I want to be worth it._

I reach for a random cookie-cutter, but another hand bumps mine on its way to grab the same one. Just before I look up, I notice the shape: a heart. Then I see who the hand belongs to.

“... Just take it, Tanaka,” I sigh, looking back down from his flabbergasted face and grabbing a different one.

His loud laughter fills the kitchen, and Shouyou soon joins in as well. The latter forms a heart with his hands, giving me a mocking, “lovey-dovey” face. I reach out and grip his hair, ignoring his shouts of protest and apology.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Christmas Eve_

_(Hinata’s POV)_

Christmas Eve is the day of lovers, like Valentine’s Day. Commercials on the TV advertise last-minute gift ideas for couples, both young and old. There’re also ads for KFC every so often.

I sink further into the couch, feeling as if I’m melting. I look over at ma in the kitchen, whipping up large batches of cookie dough. Last year, we made the traditional wagashi, so we decided to go the western route this time around. She hums as she works, checking recipes every now and then but mostly tossing in approximations ingrained into her mind. She’s like a walking recipe book.

I’d already texted Kageyama earlier today, making sure he was still coming over. _Now all I have to do is wait. And wait. And… wait._

Huffing, I turn off the TV and hop to my feet. I spin on my heel and make my way down the hallway to my bedroom (stopping to take a restroom break, first). The carpet is soft between my toes, having been freshly vacuumed.

I glance around my unusually clean room, and my eyes stop at the small box sitting on my desk. I grin, but I can’t give it to Kageyama today, however much I’d like to. Him and I are going somewhere special the day after Christmas, and only then can I give it to him.

I told him that, too, when we texted. He told me that he had something for me that he could give me today, but I have no idea what. Since he’s so quiet, he’s much better than I am at keeping secrets, so I can only hope I don’t accidentally spoil my gift.

_“Shouyou, your boyfriend’s here!”_ Ma calls from the kitchen. I hear Natsu laughing in her bedroom through my wall, and I flush.

_“Coming!”_ I shout, slapping the wall between Natsu’s room and mine.

Then I grin, feeling my heart beat hard and fast. I jump out of my room, nearly hitting my head on the doorframe, and race down the hall. I skid into the livingroom and grip the wall, spinning myself around and down the hallway at the front door.

“Careful!” Ma laughs. I gulp, taking a deep breath before gripping the doorknob tightly and pulling the door open.

For just a moment, before Kageyama notices that I’d opened the door, I see his silhouette. His head is looking off to the side (a side profile), his jaw sharp enough to cut paper. The midday sun shines diamonds on his glasses. Then his eyes widen, and he turns to me.

“Shouyou,” Kageyama says in greeting, making my heart flutter. He sounds almost shocked that I still live here.

I grin, composing myself. “Hi, Tobio.”

He gulps, then brings his hands around to his front; I hadn’t noticed they were behind his back. In them is a paper bag. He looks away, glaring at something in the distance with a red face, pulling something out of the bag and holding it out to me. _Cute!_

A pair of keychains: two round, black crows, one with orange feathers on its head and wide eyes, the other with even darker black feathers on its head and glaring eyes. Both are each about the size of my fist, and have two pink felt circles for blush.

My eyes grow huge, and a smile spreads across my face. I quickly look back up at Kageyama, taking them and clutching them to my chest.

“Gwah! They’re- they’re _adorable!”_

He looks away, cheeks red. “Dumbass…” he mutters. “There’s more. Come on.”

I blink, curious. He steps inside, muttering _“Excuse the intrusion”_ and taking off his shoes. Then I follow Kageyama down the hall, still holding the keychains tightly. The paper bag is still in his hands, and it appears there’s more ‘somethings’ in it. _But what is it?_

He says hello to ma, who grins at him before turning back to her cookie dough, humming. He greets Natsu, as well, as she nearly barrels into him on her way out of her room. Her gleeful laughter rings throughout the house, and she hops away, probably to help out in the kitchen.

At last, we reach my room. I quickly skirt around him and snatch the box off my desk, shoving it into a drawer before he sees it. Then I spin around, sheepishly.

“Sorry,” I tell him as he raises his eyebrows. “I’ll give it to you soon! I have something else to give you in a minute, anyways.”

The corner of his mouth quirks up, and he glances down at the floor.

“Anyways, what else is there?” I ask, sitting on my bed.

“Oh,” he starts, looking back into the paper bag and blushing yet again. “Well… Here, just... see for yourself.”

This time I raise my eyebrows as he steps forward and hands the bag to me. I set the keychains on the bed next to me and open it, peering inside. _A book?_ Reaching in, I grab the object and pull it out.

 _Karasuno’s #10 and the Secrets of Volleyball_.

My eyes grow huge. The cover shows a still of the ‘Small Giant’ in mid air, his face covered by curling black hair. He has a pair of massive, raven-black wings that look so real I could almost believe they were. He’s poised in a spiking position, and the ball is seemingly floating in front of him.

I flip through the pages, trembling in excitement as I catch glimpses of the small book’s contents. Unique hand signals; every single type of recorded play in Japan’s volleyball history, including ones special to only specific teams; the best volleyball players in global history; a biography on the Small Giant himself; dramatic photoshoots of epic receives, spikes, blocks, serves, sets, etc.

My brain begins buzzing, happy and loud and excited to absorb every piece of information in the book as soon as possible. Instead, I look back up at Kageyama, grinning harder than ever. He stands there rubbing his neck, waiting for me to say something.

“Tobio! This… this is… _marry me!”_ I exclaim, hugging the book to my chest.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Two months ago_

_(Miwa’s POV)_

I sit at the kitchen counter, the silence buzzing in my ears. Well, that’s not quite right. My heart pounds loudly, and I’m positive that anybody within a mile radius can hear it as loud and clear as day.

_Okay. Tobio is still at school. He’ll be coming home at around five, six at the latest, because of volleyball practice. Right now, it’s… ten-thirty. That leaves me plenty of time._

_She’ll get here soon. Any minute now. I just have to sit here, and wait. Patiently. Everything’ll be okay. Deep breaths in, deep breaths out. In, out. In, out. In, ou--_

My frantic thoughts are interrupted by a loud knocking at the door, which sends a jolt through me. I whip around, obviously still unable to see who it is through the solid wood. My heart pounds, almost believing I imagined the sound. But no - there it is again. Loud, but not insistent.

A nervous grin spreads across my face, and I quickly tuck my hair behind my ear as I hop up. “Coming!” I call, anxiously looking around for something to readjust before darting to the door.

I open it, and a familiar face greets me.

“Hey, Miwa! I almost didn’t think you were home!” Saeko laughs.

Her chopped blonde hair bounces, and her gold earrings reflect the morning sun brightly. She’s dressed in a black biker jacket atop a dark red tank top, grey skinny jeans with a black belt, and a pair of knee-high black boots with zippers along the sides.

I, on the other hand, just have on a black, long sleeve shirt, a pair of navy green, high-waisted canvas pants, and worn brown Oxford shoes. Of course, my bangs are slicked back for the occasion. My cheeks flush as I realize I have paint marks on my clothes, and I hide my fidgeting hands behind my back.

“Ah, no, uh, sorry about that! I just…” I pause, deciding to tell the truth. “I got nervous.” I give her an embarrassed grin.

“Aw, that’s alright! There’s nothing to be nervous about!” Saeko laughs, twirling her car keys. Her black nail polish makes my heart flutter. “Do you know of a good coffee shop, or should I pick one?”

I pat my pockets, making sure I have my phone, keys, and wallet as I rack my brain. “Actually… I think I know a place.”

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

I was nervous, at first, to be driven by Saeko. Tobio had filled my brain with graphic descriptions of her far-too-fast and possibly quite violent driving. However, it seems that her driving isn’t that bad when she’s not in a rush.

We talk as she drives up the mountain, filling the silence as we get to know each other better. I discover that she’s 21 (three years younger than me), graduated from Karasuno High, and that she works at the Karasuno Eatery (which is where the van she’s driving is from).

“--And my brother! He’s the coolest. You should meet him sometime!” Saeko says, glancing over at me to give me a wink and a smile before gluing her eyes back on the road. My heart flutters again.

“Speaking of your brother, is his first name ‘Ryuu’?” I ask. My fingers tug at a loose thread on my green pants.

“‘Ryuunosuke’, but you know him!?” she asks, eyebrows flying up as she glances at me again. Her louder is higher than mine, but there’s something guttural and deep about it as well that makes my cheeks pink. 

I can’t help but laugh at her surprise. “My little brother’s Tobio. He’s part of the boys’ volleyball club at Karasuno. He’s talked about you and your brother before!”

“Oh, that’s right! Ryuu mentioned that he knew the name ‘Kageyama’ from somewhere, and reminded me that I drove the 'freak duo' all the way to Tokyo…” The turn signal clicks, and we round a corner, pulling into a small parking lot. “But it looks like we’re here, so let’s continue this inside!”

She flashes me a grin once we’re parked, and I give her one of my own in response.

“Okay!”

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

We sit across from each other inside the café. In front of me is a mug of caramel coffee and a large blueberry muffin. Saeko, on the other hand, has a mug of black coffee and an ice cream bar kept cool by sitting in a bowl of ice cubes. After exchanging stories of how it went when we told our little brothers about our date, the conversation shifts.

“So, how’d you hear of this place, anyways?” she asks, downing a gulp. It’s a wonder the mug isn’t empty by now.

I look around, as it’s really only my first time stepping inside. Various signs around the place display the shop’s name: “Sunbird Café”. Only a handful of the dozen or so tables are occupied. The others are clean, topped only with a container of napkins and salt, pepper, and sugar shakers.

Two cashiers stand at the front before the kitchen, serving customers at the counter. Small bells ring every time somebody passes through the doorway. A small amount of gold paint accents the otherwise warm, neutral scheme of the place.

Soft music plays from a primary-colored speaker in the middle of the room. Transparent fairy lights line the windows, giving off a yellow glow, like miniature lanterns. When I look back at Saeko, her brown looks almost golden.

I gulp, regaining my composure. “Well, Tobio told me all about this place after coming home from a date with his boyfriend, actually. Right down to the number of steps it took to walk here!”

She laughs, loud and bright. It’s so different from being around Tobio. I begin to feel as if my cheeks will hurt from how much I’m smiling and laughing today; it’s an unfamiliar, but not unwelcome, feeling.

“Well, lucky us, then!”

I take another sip, smiling to myself. “What made you ask me on a date, anyways?” I ask her. _‘Is it really that obvious I’m a lesbian?’_ is what I’m really asking.

Saeko hums, poking at her ice cream bar. “Hm... You looked cute!”

I choke on my last sip of coffee. “That’s why you asked me out on a date?”

She laughs, throwing her head back. “Yeah! And you had this one paint mark on your arm that was placed just so; it screamed _‘lesbian’!”_

I laugh with her, reaching for my blueberry muffin. “Well, when I first saw you, all I could think was _‘Wow, she could punch me and I’d thank her.’”_

“Oh, I’d never! But I can believe that you’d thank me,” she adds, laughing and unwrapping her ice cream.

A tall pair of boys walks through the door as I grin sheepishly, making the bells ring. The taller has light brown, curly hair, black glasses, and wears khaki pants and a mint sweater. The other has darker, spiky hair, and wears a jean jacket over a grey sweatshirt and black jeans.

Something about them is familiar, though I don’t know why. Though the first seems more regal and full of himself, the other has an air of _“I’m the only one who can keep him in check”._ It sort of reminds me of a king and his advisor.

My attention snaps back to Saeko. She’s looking out the window, studying something in the street while practically inhaling her ice cream bar. _So much for suggestive popsicle-eating,_ I think to myself. _Those_ yuri _manga are lies._

Even though this isn’t a _yuri_ manga, I still find myself staring at her silhouette. Her sharp jaw, her darting eyes - everything about her makes my heart pound. Man, am I lucky she thought I was cute.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Did you know:_

‘ _Yuri_ ’ “is a term used for content in Japanese media (anime, manga, and literary works) involving romantic relationships between women, both sexual and non-sexual in nature.”

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Christmas Day (Present)_

_(Kageyama’s POV)_

“Mo-om,” Natsu whines. “Can we open presents now? Can we? _Please?”_

The air smells like eggnog and baking cookies, pine needles and crisp snow, candy canes and Christmas.

Mrs. Hinata laughs, hoisting herself up from the couch. Shouyou is tucked into my side; there’s no room for him not to be, since Miwa and Saeko are on the couch as well. The TV gets turned down - it’s playing some old Christmas movie, mostly for background noise.

Shouyou looks up, donning a glowing smile. My cheeks dust with color, and I look away from him toward the pile of presents under the Christmas tree. Natsu practically flings herself onto them, making Saeko laugh.

I hear Tanaka slam open the bathroom door down the hall behind us. “DID SOMEBODY SAY _PRESENTS!?”_

Shouyou snorts, quickly covering his mouth, but I can still see his grin through his eyes. He radiates so much body heat, it almost burns where he leans against me.

 _“Tanaka-senpai, get in here!”_ he calls, standing and pulling me up along with him. My side suddenly feels cold where he used to be.

The couch gets pushed aside, and the _kotatsu_ is moved to the center of the living room. Shouyou and Natsu spread seven mats around the table: one for each of us. Then all of us kneel, except Mrs. Hinata, Miwa, and Saeko, who all begin passing out the presents to the right people.

My legs begin to tingle as they fall asleep, and I realize I’d probably grown too used to Shouyou’s couch. Despite trying to remain stoic, my face lights up with every gift set in front of me. The last one is distributed - and everybody ends up with three. Well, except Natsu, who has four.

“Oh, the camera!” Mrs. Hinata exclaims. “I’ll be right back!”

My face flushes. _More photos._ As she stands, however, somebody knocks loudly at the front door.

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_Two months ago_

_(Miwa’s POV)_

“Hey, hey, it’s okay! It’ll be okay, I promise, just talk to me, okay? What’s wrong?” Saeko wraps her arms around me in a hug, squeezing me, but not too tight.

I take in deep, shuddering breaths, focusing on Saeko’s warmth. Finally, the tears begin to slow, and I loosen my grip on her. My eyes hurt, and my cheeks feel sticky.

“I’m sorry for coming over so suddenly, I just… I just…” I hiccup, looking down at the floor.

_Why did I come here? Why am I crying? I feel pitiful. I cried on Saeko, of all people; I’m an embarrassment. She’s probably disgusted by me. She--_

“It’s okay! You have nothing to apologize for, Miwa!” she squeezes my shoulder. My heart feels too heavy to skip a beat at the use of my name, like it normally would. “I’ll be right back - stay here, alright?”

I manage a nod, and look around her apartment. It’s small, but she’s somehow managed to fit an entire dark red drum set, a TV with at least one console, and a few shelves drilled into the walls, covered in figurines and what appears to be manga.

The floor is made up of _tatami_ mats; I’d grown used to the hardwood floors in our home, and only now remember to slip off my shoes and set them by the doorway.

Saeko returns from a doorway on the right, holding a cloth. I hiccup again, looking down at my socks. She steps up to me and, after a moment, tilts my chin to wipe at my cheeks with the warm, damp cloth. Despite my hiccups, my ears grow warm as I watch Saeko’s concentrated face.

Her eyes lock with mine, and this time, my heart skips and thuds. I realize that I have to look down a bit to look into her eyes; I hadn’t noticed before when she showed up to my house in heeled boots. Then she steps back, clearing her throat; I can’t help but wonder if her cheeks are red because of me, too.

“Well,” Saeko begins, clearing her throat again and looking back up. “What’s wrong?”

My heart sinks again, and I let out a breath. “It’s just… my father. I haven’t lived with him for… a long time. And now he’s back; Tobio and I agreed to let him. He was gone because he wasn’t able to take care of us after what happened with okaa-san, and- and it’s so different and I just- I’m sorry.”

Saeko listened patiently as I spoke, even if she didn’t know what I meant about my mother. When I was done, she didn’t say a word. Instead, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me again. I stood stiffly for a moment, surprised; but after a minute, I let out another breath and relaxed into the comfort.

I wasn’t sure I’d be able to speak, anyways.

After that, I just sort of... stayed over for a while. The silences were comfortable as we sat around, occasionally watching TV or playing a game or just chatting. Eventually, though, I glanced out the window and caught a glimpse of the setting sun.

I look at Saeko, who’s reclined on her bed, reading a manga. My heart skips at the yellow lollipop dangling from her mouth, the stick twirling around and around.

“Hey, uh, Saeko, it’s getting late, and I should probably get back to my brother…”

She looks up at me, the lollipop nearly falling. “Oh! Yeah, that’s fine! It is pretty late… Do you want me to drive you home?”

I smile at the thought, rising to my feet. “You don’t have to; I wouldn’t want you to go out of your way! But if you insist, as long as you’re prepared to possibly meet my dad.”

Saeko shuts her book, crushing the candy hard between her teeth. “Is he… cool?” she asks after chewing and swallowing. She glances over her shoulder at me as she sets the manga onto its shelf.

“He’s asexual,” I grin, knowing what she meant.

“Well, it’s settled then! I can drive you in your car there. One of my band mates lives real close, so I’ll just walk to their place! I need to get more practice in anyways.”

“Thank you, Saeko.”

She turns to me, bowing slightly and extending a hand. She peers at me through her eyelashes, a sly grin off-setting the grandeur she mocks. “Shall we?”

I laugh, startled by the act. “Yes, let’s.”

~•°•°-------------------°•°•~

_Did you know:_

‘ _Tatami_ ’ “is a type of mat used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms. _Tatami_ are covered with woven soft rush straw. The core is traditionally made from rice straw, but contemporary _tatami_ sometimes have compressed wood chip boards or polystyrene foam cores. The long sides are usually edged with brocade or plain cloth, although some _tatami_ have no edging.”

~•°•°-------------------°•°•~

“Saeko?” I begin as we park in front of my house.

She looks at me. “Hm?”

I look at my hands in my lap and chew on the inside of my cheek. “I just wanted to say… thank y--”

Soft hands grab the sides of my face, and even softer lips crash against mine. I only hesitate for one startled moment before closing my eyes and looping my arms around her neck, pressing closer into the kiss. Her hands stay cradling my jaw, but her thumbs rub circles on my cheeks.

_Warm._

~•°•°-------------------°•°•~

_Christmas Eve_

_(Hinata’s POV)_

Kageyama stammers, face bright red. “Ah, well, I-I’m glad you like it…”

I set the book to the side with the keychains and hop up, throwing my arms around him and pressing my lips to his.

 _“Like_ it? I _love_ it,” I say when we break apart.

He smiles, pulling off his glasses and looking into my eyes. His smiles have been a lot less scary lately; I wonder if he’s been getting better on purpose, or if it’s just because he’s been smiling more. Either way, it suits him.

His blue eyes go soft and shiny, and his cheeks are dusted a slight pink. _Beautiful._ I tell him so.

“D-dumbass...”

I grin at him. “I have a present for you, too. And I’ll give you the other one the day after Christmas!”

He groans. “I know, I know. What’s this one then?”

“Well!” I say, turning around and moving to my desk, pulling open the drawer again. I dig around, making sure he can’t see the box as I do. Then I find and pull out the transparent CD case.

He joins me, making a curious noise.

“Here.” I hand the case to him. On it, written in black Sharpie, are the words _‘Tobio: Thank you for teaching me to fly.’_

Kageyama slowly reaches out, taking it from my hands and looking down at it. His blue eyes begin to look a little watery behind those glasses of his. Looking back up at me, his mouth opens and closes, silently. Finally, he gathers the words.

“What… what’s this?” he asks, though he holds the case as if it's his most treasured thing in the world.

I look down at the floor, my fingers twisting together as I shift my weight from side to side. “Well… you know how my dad made music?” Kageyama nods, moving over to sit on my bed. I sit beside him.

“I told you he never published any. Which is true! The public never got to hear what he wrote. But… he still wrote and composed and sang music. He put it all into a file, and we found the ones he’d abandoned or hadn’t gotten the chance to finish.

“So… I listen to it every morning. Every day on my way to school, when I’m biking over the mountain, I listen to the playlist. There’s _hundreds_ of songs; mostly covers of music, or instrumentals, but there’s also songs he wrote all by himself, and music he composed for the piano and guitar.

“I wanted to give you this copy so you could listen to it, too. If you wanted. It’s okay if you don’t!” I finish my spiel and look at Kageyama on my left.

He looks down at the disc, then back up at me. “Of course I want to.” He struggles for a moment with his next words, but they are heartfelt nonetheless. “Thank you.”

A small smile spreads across my face. “Merry Christmas Eve, ‘Yama.”

“Merry Christmas Eve, Shou.”

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

_Christmas Day (Present)_

_(Kageyama’s POV)_

I jump at the sound of the knocking, and furrow my brow as I look in the direction of the front door. The rest of us kneeling at the _kotatsu_ do the same, and the room falls silent.

“I’ll get that,” Mrs. Hinata tells us, having already been standing anyways. Miwa gets up to accompany her, and they head down the short hall.

I face forward, adjusting myself so I’m cross-legged. I stare down at the white and red _futon_ , studying the pattern. The warmth from the space heater underneath makes my legs tingle.

Tanaka whispers something to Shouyou, making them both stifle laughter, but I didn’t catch what it was. I hear the front door open. A few moments later, a rush of cold air trails its freezing fingers down my spine. I shiver.

“Hey, Tobio, c’mere!” Miwa calls suddenly, making me jump.

Feeling as if I’m being called to the front of the classroom, I hesitantly rise to my feet. The cold air strikes my legs. Shouyou furrows his brow as he watches me cross the living room to the front door.

The hall is dark - Mrs. Hinata must not have turned on the light. But the white glow from street lamps on Christmas illuminates the silhouettes. I can’t quite make out who the man is that stands in the doorway, since the other two are in front of him.

“Who is it?” I ask after a moment, catching their attention during what seems to be a pause in conversation.

Miwa turns to me, eyes bright. “Ah, Tobio! It’s _father!”_

I blink, pushing up my glasses, and they step aside to let the man through. I turn around for a moment and flick on the light switch. When I turn back, I can see that, indeed, it is our father.

“Hello, little Tobio!” he says brightly, smiling.

“I… I thought you had to work tonight,” I say, stunned. I hear rustling behind me and know that somebody, most likely Shouyou, has joined us.

“They decided to pity me, since it’s Christmas…” He rubs the back of his neck with his free hand. In the other, I notice, he holds a large cloth bag. He notices me staring. “Ah! Well, you haven’t finished opening presents yet, have you?”

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~

_(Hinata’s POV)_

It seemed almost like destiny, the way Kageyama’s father filled in the very last seat at the kotatsu. Starting at the top left and going clockwise around the table: Kageyama’s father, Miwa, Saeko, Tanaka, Natsu, my mom, me, and ‘Yama. 

It was quiet at first, when the newest guest had arrived, the silence broken only by his apologies to ma for coming so suddenly, and her grinning reassurances. But then Tanaka cracked a joke, and the thick atmosphere was lifted. Natsu exclaimed her joy for the new bag of small presents that were added to the bunch, and we were finally ready to begin Christmas.

“Say _‘cheese’!”_ Ma tells us, grinning.

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

One by one, the presents are opened (though of course, Kageyama’s father didn’t get anything, but swears up and down that he doesn’t mind).

Natsu got a new notebook, a new set of colored pencils, and a bento box with characters from her favorite cartoon on it (from me). From Kageyama’s father, she received a package of brightly colored stickers. She grinned widely with every gift, and, after a bit of fussing, allowed herself to be in multiple photos.

Miwa got some hair clips designed to look like sushi (from Saeko), a belt with the colors of the lesbian pride flag, and a new set of paint brushes from her father. She was equally elated with the gifts, throwing her arms around everybody at the table and hugging them tightly.

Tanaka received a box of hair chalk (which he nearly escaped into the bathroom with immediately to color his shaved head with), a set of black and gold drum sticks (from his sister), and a brand new pair of knee pads. As soon as he’s finished saying thank you, he dashes off to the bathroom, clutching the hair chalk with a wild grin.

Saeko, on the other hand, was given a black set of plain earrings from Tanaka, a handful of pride flag patches to iron onto her denim jacket from Miwa, and a metal keychain in the shape of a motorcycle to put on her keyring. She grins and thanks us, clapping her brother on the back.

Ma got an oven mitt shaped like Kermit the frog (from me), a drawing from Natsu, and a series of photos of me receiving the volleyball with my face (from Kageyama). After she finishes laughing, she thanks us. She once again reassures ‘Yama’s dad, since he couldn’t think of anything to get her.

Kageyama receives a brand new pair of black and gold volleyball shoes from his father, a pair of headphones with LED lights in the shape of cat ears (from me), and a black t-shirt that says _‘Fly!’_ on it in white _kanji_. Stammering and red in the face, he thanks us. I grin at him.

Finally, it’s my turn. I was given a sweatshirt that matches Kageyama’s shirt (black, _‘Fly!’_ in white _kanji_ ), my own new pair of white and red volleyball sneakers from ‘Yama’s dad, and a set of two posters of the Small Giant to hang in my room. Ecstatic, I grin as hard as I can.

~•°•°-------------------°•°•~

_Day After Christmas_

_(Kageyama’s POV)_

“Where are we going?” I ask Shouyou once we’re in Miwa’s car.

He grins at me and squeezes my hand as we drive over a bump in the road. “You’ll see!”

I sigh, but am secretly buzzing to know what’ll happen. In his free hand is that small box. He tries to keep it from view, but I already know there’s nothing on the plain white outside that could give indication to the contents anyways.

As we drive into town, Shouyou talks about all the plans he has for the rest of Christmas break. We’re meeting the rest of the team tomorrow to exchange small gifts with one another and share what we did over Christmas. We’re also supposedly having another meetup with Kenma, Kuroo, Oikawa, and Iwaizumi. I’m nervous to see how that’ll go, but it can’t be helped.

I nod and contribute to the conversation as best as I can while spinning wild tales in my head about where we could be going.

Finally, Shouyou jerks his head up as the car slows. “Here, park us here; we should walk the rest of the way!”

“Good idea!” Miwa says, pulling over with a grin. I furrow my brow. _Does she know where we’re going, too?_

Once we’re parked, we all get out. I’m a bit off-put by Miwa joining us, but I let Shouyou lead me by the hand regardless. He’s shivering slightly from the cold, winter air. He suddenly halts, and I almost crash into him.

“Dumbass--!”

“Close your eyes! We’re nearly there!”

I groan and reluctantly squeeze them shut. “Don’t make me trip,” I warn him as he slowly pulls me the rest of the way forward.

He only laughs, but we stumble at least once until, at last, stopping. “Okay. You can open them now!”

I blink, squinting past the fog on my glasses in an attempt to read the sign on the dark shop. “...T… 'Tattoo Parlour'..?”

He grins at me, bright and radiant even in the coldest of weather. “Yeah! But - you aren’t getting a tattoo, don’t worry. They do piercings here, too! I just… I remember a little while back you were staring at Saeko, and when I asked you about it, you’d said you wanted to get ear piercings like that sometime, too, so…”

Miwa laughs behind me at the mention of her girlfriend. A mixture of nervousness and giddiness floods through me, making my heart pound with adrenaline. “Ear piercings.”

Shouyou doesn’t say anything, just holds the box out to me. I take it from him after a moment, and pull off the lid. Inside is a pair of black earrings that appear to be fake gauges.

I look back up at the parlour, raising my eyebrows. “For Christmas, you’re taking me… to get my ears pierced.”

~•°•°--------------------°•°•~

The air in the Tattoo Parlour is warm, but not hot. I’ve since taken my jacket off, and am reclining in a decently comfortable leather seat. Rock music plays quietly in the background, but I can’t understand the English words.

I focus on the sounds and sensations, keeping my eyes closed. I try my absolute hardest to ignore the Sharpie drawing a circle on both of my earlobes. I also try to ignore the squeaky sound of the gloves the man wears. And the jingling of his dozens of piercings.

Shouyou giggles somewhere behind me. I’m too nervous to move an inch, so I resort to tightening my grip on the armrests. Suddenly a cold metal presses on my left earlobe.

“Ready?” the man asks. His voice is gruff, but kind.

I let out a breath. “Yeah.”

He says something about relaxing my muscles, which I try to do in the moment he gives me before - an odd feeling pierces through my ear.

I blink my eyes open, surprised.

It felt like… I’d just been pinched. My ear feels warm and tingly and slightly sore, but it doesn’t hurt a lot. Suddenly the feeling repeats itself in my right ear, and it’s all I can do not to flinch in surprise.

Tears prickle at the corners of my eyes, but I’m able to let out a long breath that I didn’t realize I’d been holding. Though blurry, my vision refocuses on the man facing away from me, cleaning off the tool he used for the piercings.

“You doin’ alright? Does it hurt?” he asks, glancing over his shoulder at me.

Behind me, I hear Shouyou and Miwa draw in their breaths, waiting for my response. “...Pinched.”

Shouyou snorts, and the man lets out a chuckle, pulling off his gloves. “That’s normal. Take this, and remember to turn the earring often so it doesn’t heal up around the piercing or get infected, all that. Come see me or a pediatrician if you think it might be infected.”

I nod as he speaks, feeling slightly lightheaded at the prospect of getting an infected piercing. He moves to the counter, gesturing at us to follow him. I stand with wobbly legs, letting Shouyou support me, though not without glaring furiously at the floor.

“And don’t forget that you just stabbed a hole in your ear, alright? Don’t go tugging real hard, and don’t take the piercing out until at least six weeks. And keep turning and cleaning it!”

I nod again once we reach the counter and Miwa pulls our father’s credit card out of her wallet (she reassures me that she told him what she was doing with it first). My stomach turns, and I furrow my brow, not trusting myself to open my mouth.

But as I grab my jacket on the way out the door, Shouyou’s hand still at my side, despite the queasiness… I feel powerful. _I just got my ears pierced. I have piercings. In my ears._ I grin, unable to stop myself from letting out a short laugh.

As he helps me into the car and slides in beside me, holding a small plastic bag in his free hand from the parlour, Shouyou laughs as well.

“Merry Christmas, ‘Yama.”

“Merry Christmas.”


End file.
